High quality extra virgin olive oil can be recognized through tasting, that is, by tasting it. The high quality EVO oil must be fruity on the nose, and have a good balance of spicy and bitter taste. It is difficult to recognize quality extra virgin olive oil only from the label because extra virgin olive oil can be obtained from low quality olives. Relying on certified and experienced producers such as the olive growers of the Grevepesa consortium is already a guarantee of a high quality oil. 

Before buying extra virgin olive oil, you need to check the harvest date which should be within one year of purchase. EVO oil can be kept for up to 18 months. Then you have to buy a package that is suitable for consumption, if you buy a 5-liter can but then keep it open for 6 months without finishing it, the oil inside it oxidizes. This is why we have produced the bag in box that allows you to keep the vacuum inside the package even after opening. 

Fatty acids are divided into saturated and unsaturated. Unsaturated fats are found in large quantities in extra virgin olive oil. Mono-unsaturated fatty acids are considered "good" fats, as they favor the replacement of LDL cholesterol present in the blood, which causes heart attacks and vascular obstructions, with HDL cholesterol, which does not represent a source of danger for the body. High quality extra virgin olive oil can have a maximum acidity level of 0.8 pH by law. The shorter the time between the olive harvest and the pressing, the lower the acidity level will be. To learn more, read also: "the beneficial properties of EVO oil"

Surely the dark green olive oil is pleasing to the eye, but it is not an indicator that determines its quality. The color depends on the chlorophyll content in the oil… Early harvest accentuates the green color, while the more mature olive reduces its chlorophyll content and therefore the oil will take on a more yellowish color.
It can happen that an oil has an intense green color, but is not accompanied by any fragrance or sometimes even defective. In all likelihood we are in the presence of an altered oil (therefore not extra virgin olive oil) in order to obtain a more intense color.
There are three possibilities:
• Addition of greenfinch, the second pressing oil
• Addition of leaves during the pressing phase
• Addition of synthetic chlorophyll
It is therefore important not to be influenced by a beautiful green color of the oil, but to make sure that that beautiful color is an added value for the pleasure of sight and not a deception.
Professional tasters taste the oils using a colored glass precisely to prevent the color from affecting their judgment on the taste and aroma of the oil.

Good quality extra virgin olive oil is a super healthy fat that retains its benefits even after cooking.
Thanks to its high smoke point (210 ° C) olive oil is the ideal choice for all types of cooking.
Since extra virgin olive oil is rich in antioxidants and vitamin E, it protects against oxidative stress
The susceptibility of an oil to oxidative damage depends above all on two things:
• Its concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids which, reacting with oxygen, tend to oxidize
• The presence of antioxidants that reduce oxidative damage
• Extra virgin olive oil contains few polyunsaturated fatty acids (about 11%) and is rich in antioxidants.
In addition, researchers from the University of Barcelona have demonstrated it, by simulating the conditions that occur in the pan when cooking food up to 120 ° C and up to 170 ° C that the polyphenol content in the residual oil decreases by 40%. and 75%, the remaining amount of polyphenols continues to meet the parameters set by the WHO to define a healthy food, something that does not happen with other types of oil. One more reason, therefore, to always try to use, not only raw but also for cooking, made in Italy extra virgin olive oil.

Extra virgin olive oil is an indispensable food for our health, it must also find a place in the diet of those who want to control body weight because it improves metabolism and does not promote weight gain. Oil is a calorie-rich food. A tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (equal to 10 g) provides about 90 calories. It is essential to use it moderately but it should never be eliminated from the diet precisely because of its nutritional properties. The calories of olive oil are in fact defined as "good", unlike those coming from other seasoning fats because it favors the replacement of bad cholesterol with good cholesterol and due to the lower quantity of saturated fatty acids, linked to cardiovascular risk.
Typically, we get fat because we eat too much fat and bad quality. The solution is to choose the right fats and not to take in excess. In an adult, 2 tablespoons a day of good quality extra virgin olive oil are sufficient to have a balanced diet that gives energy but does not put on weight.
Extra virgin olive oil can be used in diets as a snack between meals to control the sense of hunger. For example: a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil when hungry can help to quench the sense of hunger, without the need to ingest other foods. If you don't like the taste of EVO oil alone, it can be accompanied by a slice of bread.

The smoke point of oil is the temperature at which the oil begins to create a smoky coating on the surface and begins to lose health properties and convert into harmful chemicals, and oil at this temperature could ignite. Therefore it is important to keep the EVO oil below the smoke point when cooking food to have healthy dishes.

Extra virgin olive oil comes from the first pressing of the olives, contains no more than 0,8% acidity and is of superior quality. It is obtained solely from the mechanical processing of olives. Subjected to organoleptic analysis, it must not show olfactory and gustatory defects of any kind and / or intensity.
• Virgin olive oil has an acidity between 0,8% and 2% and is of poor quality. This is also obtained solely from the mechanical processing of the olives.
• Olive oil is a blend of virgin oil and refined oil, containing a maximum of 1% acidity. It usually tastes very flat.
• Olive pomace oil is a blend of refined olive pomace oil and a small amount of virgin oil. It is suitable for consumption, but it cannot be called olive oil.
• Lampante oil is olive oil not intended for consumption; lampante comes from the ancient use of olive oil as a fuel in fuel oil lamps
The difference is evident in the organoleptic characteristics: extra virgin olive oil must not have defects, neither on the nose nor on the palate.

Cold extraction means that the oil is produced through a mechanical process, without chemical treatments and without heating the product to a temperature below 27 ° C.
In this way, the essence of the fruit is preserved and a food of excellent quality is produced.
A higher temperature allows the oil particles to accumulate better and in greater quantities, therefore it could increase the quantity of oil extracted from the oil paste, but at the expense of the quality of the oil.
It is important to clarify to the consumer that the cold extraction method has nothing to do with the method of crushing the olives to obtain the oil paste, but refers to the temperature during the extraction process.
In fact, many think that traditional methods such as stone mills are able to better preserve the quality of the oil than mechanical continuous-cycle crushers. In reality, however, the latest generation machinery is able to guarantee both low temperatures and very high hygiene standards, a guarantee for the quality and conservation of the finished product.