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From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.<\/p>\n
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.<\/p>\n
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.<\/p>\n
Your support makes all the difference.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nRead more<\/span><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nOlive oil is a kitchen staple across the world with \u201cliquid gold\u201d a defining factor in everything from Caprese salad to hummus and paella. <\/p>\n
But while olive oil is widely touted for its health benefits not all bottles are created equal, according to experts.<\/p>\n
Much like wine, the best bottles come down to the quality of the land, the conditions in which the olives are grown, and the processing practices.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe question of quality ultimately comes down to the health of the tree and the milling practices,\u201d Mary Mori, vice president of quality and product at California Olive Ranch, which came top in the 2025 World Olive Oil Rankings, told The Independent.<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cWe always say, \u2018You can\u2019t make great olive oil without great olives.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Not all olive oils are created equal. The differences come down to the olive tree, the quality of the land and how the olives are harvested (Getty\/iStock)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nBut there are things outside olive oil producers\u2019 control. Drought, for example, has had California\u2019s olive oil crop in a chokehold for decades. The arid conditions <\/strong>can reduce crop size and lead to more bitter tasting olives. <\/p>\nFlooding rain is also an issue for growers, leaving oil groves susceptible to diseases that can kill the crops.<\/p>\n
Price matters – but so does transparency <\/h2>\n<\/p>\n Overall the more expensive the olive oil, the better the quality, says Joseph Profaci, director of the North American Olive Oil Association, which conducts the nation’s largest and most complete olive oil testing and certification program. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry to say that, but it\u2019s true. And I always tell people, \u2018Buy the best olive oil you can afford,\u201d he told The Independent<\/em>.<\/p>\nHowever, California Olive Ranch\u2019s Mori notes that while price can mean better quality, there\u2019s also the risk of being seduced by a fancy bottle.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust because a bottle costs $40 or has beautiful packaging doesn\u2019t necessarily mean it\u2019s higher quality,\u201d she said. \u201cFocusing on brands that carry trusted certifications and provide full transparency into their sourcing and quality standards is the best way to ensure you\u2019re getting truly great olive oil.\u201d<\/p>\n
Certifications assure that the olive oils meet purity and quality standards set by the International Olive Council, the world\u2019s only intergovernmental organization in the field of olive oil and table olives.<\/p>\n
Olive oil comes from around the world but Spain is the largest producer, making more than half the world\u2019s olive oil some years. Spain\u2019s climate is ideal for growing olive trees with warm and dry summers and mild winters that won\u2019t kill crops. Italy and Greece are the typically the next two largest producing countries.<\/p>\n
Totally extra <\/h2>\n<\/p>\n Both experts say the best olive oil to buy is extra virgin olive oil, which is ultimately any one that is the least processed.<\/p>\n
Extra virgin olive oil is made by taking any type of olive – but most commonly the Arbequina in California and Picual in Spain – crushing them and grinding them into a paste using mills and then putting them into a malaxer machine, which works to separate the oil from the water in the olives.<\/p>\n
You can buy a liter of extra virgin olive oil in the U.S. for about $20. However some bottles half that size may sell for as much as $60, due to the quality of the product, the cost of the labor and production, limited supply or the brand.<\/p>\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Extra virgin olive oil is made from all kinds of olive. But Spain, the world\u2019s largest producer, mostly uses Picual olives (KEA – stock.adobe.com)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nMore refined olive oils – which are milder and less pungent than extra virgin – involve a less pure extraction process.<\/p>\n
This oil is made in the same way as EVOO but with olives of lower quality. To correct the impurities, the oil is then treated with heat or chemicals.<\/p>\n
The cancer-protecting benefits of \u2018liquid gold\u2019<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n Whatever olive oil you purchase, there are still health benefits. It\u2019s high in oleic acid, a good fat which lowers bad cholesterol, and is packed with immune-strengthening vitamin E. <\/p>\n
But the bonus with extra virgin olive oil is a unique kind of antioxidant known as polyphenol, which helps prevent cell damage that can ultimately lead to heart disease and cancer.<\/p>\n
All olive oils contain polyphenols but, because it\u2019s unrefined, extra virgin olive oil retains significantly more than other types of olive oil. <\/p>\n
\u201cPhenols are present in all extra virgin olive oils, and the more intense the bitterness and pungency, the higher the phenol content,\u201d Mori explains.<\/p>\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Olive oil is great on pasta, in salads and other dishes. But the versatile table staple can also make a sweet treat a little more complex (Getty\/iStock)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
Spread the love<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n But the olive oil aficionados also explain that there are different olive oils for different occasions. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you plan to do with the oil? Are you going to cook with it? Are you using it as a finishing oil? Are you going to give it as a gift?\u201d Profaci said. \u201cThere are lots of questions that will help you decide which ones to buy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Robust oils with a richer taste are the best with soups, salads, pastas or fish, he said. Whereas, extra virgin olive oils are more versatile.<\/p>\n
While you shouldn\u2019t pour the whole bottle – or even a lot into these dishes – there is no hard rule about how much to add. <\/p>\n
So the next time you need a bottle, think about what goes best with your dish. <\/p>\n
A cap\u2019s worth poured over vanilla ice cream with sea salt can make a delicious dessert and a small bowl is enough for dipping bread as an appetizer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more Olive oil is a kitchen staple across the world with \u201cliquid gold\u201d a defining factor in everything from Caprese salad to hummus and paella. But while olive oil is widely touted for its health benefits not all bottles are created equal, according to experts. Much like wine, the best bottles come down to the quality of the land, the conditions in which the olives are grown, and the processing practices. \u201cThe question of quality ultimately comes down to the health of the tree and the milling practices,\u201d Mary Mori, vice president of quality and product at California Olive Ranch, which came top in the 2025 World Olive Oil Rankings, told The Independent. \u201cWe always say, \u2018You can\u2019t make great olive oil without great olives.\u2019\u201d open image in gallery Not all olive oils are created equal. The differences come down to the olive tree, the quality of the land and how the olives are harvested (Getty\/iStock) But there are things outside olive oil producers\u2019 control. Drought, for example, has had California\u2019s olive oil crop in a choke…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8294,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8293"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8293"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8293\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}