Extra Virgin Excellence: The History and Health Benefits of Greek Olive Oil

Olive oil. Credit: Tabibak / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Olive lipid accumulation has played an important relation successful Greece’s past and culture. During classical times successful Athens, the olive tree, whose branches were utilized successful past rituals, was considered a acquisition from the omniscient and brave goddess Athena, and according to Aristotle, anyone who destroyed oregon uprooted an olive histrion faced the decease penalty.

In an exclusive interrogation with Greek Reporter, Vassilis Frantzolas, an olive lipid adept from Athens, Greece, speaks astir the value and aboriginal of olive lipid accumulation successful Greece and provides an overview of olive lipid depletion wellness benefits arsenic good arsenic the assorted types of olive oils and their quality.

Historical value of olive lipid successful Greece

While the archetypal surviving amphorae of olive lipid day backmost to 3500 BC, olive lipid accumulation successful ancient Greece is thought to person begun overmuch earlier. It is wide believed that the archetypal cultivation of olive trees took spot connected the Greek land of Crete, wherever archaeological grounds shows that olives were cultivated arsenic aboriginal arsenic 4500 BC.

Greek other virgin olive oils are known to beryllium among the champion successful the world, with the state ranking 3rd successful olive lipid accumulation globally, producing astir 15 percent of the full satellite output. What makes Greece unsocial compared to different producing countries is that 70 to 80 percent of each olive lipid produced successful the state is classified arsenic fantabulous prime other virgin olive oil.

Vassilis Frantzolas, an olive lipid prime tester and consultant, is chiefly occupied with grooming seminars pertaining to the accumulation of prime olive oil. He has written and/or published 3 books, including Modern Techniques of Olive Cultivation and Production of Quality Olive Oil and Modern Olive Tree Pruning Techniques by Riccardo Gucci and Claudio Cantini.

The Frantzolas household has been progressive successful the olive lipid manufacture since 1932 and originate from Lygourio, Argolis. Vassilis’ studies see civilian engineering (M.Sc. NTU), operation absorption (M.Sc.), and nutrient argumentation (M.Sc. City University, London). Today, helium conducts olive lipid seminars and writes related books.

“I person been moving successful the country of teaching radical however to nutrient high-quality olive oil,” helium said. “If you’re incapable to spot immoderate defects successful olive oil, past you won’t beryllium capable to nutrient prime oil. You cannot adjacent export olive oils due to the fact that it’s casual to beforehand a defective product. Many radical assertion we person the champion olive lipid successful the world.”

Health benefits of olive oil

The depletion of olive lipid provides important wellness benefits. The Seven Countries Study was the archetypal to measure the links betwixt diet, lifestyle, and the hazard of bosom disease. Recent grounds published successful the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) diary shows that the operation of olive lipid and leafy salads oregon vegetables is what makes the Mediterranean fare nutritiously advantageous, arsenic the enactment of nitro fatty acids betwixt the 2 nutrient groups lowers humor pressure.

A caller find announced astatine Nutrition 2023, the yearly gathering of the American Society for Nutrition successful Boston, reveals that adding olive lipid to your meals tin supply assorted benefits, specified arsenic protecting your bosom and boosting cognitive function.

Moreover, a specified spoonful of this Mediterranean staple each time mightiness little your chances of succumbing to dementia by 28 percent. Prior to this study, cipher had ever examined the transportation betwixt olive lipid oregon the hazard of decease related to dementia.

Frantzolas emphasizes the galore benefits we person from consuming olive lipid alternatively than conscionable effect oils. “There are 2 main benefits to olive oil,” helium said. “The archetypal is related to the polyphenols and tocopherols, which is vitamin E. Secondly, it’s the proportionality of fatty acids; monounsaturated fatty acids marque up astir 75 percent of its composition, compared to effect oils that incorporate lone 15 to 25 percent.”

Consumers indispensable recognize the differences betwixt other virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil, and refined olive oil, arsenic good arsenic which categories are champion oregon worst, Frantzolas says. Credit: TaosSKG / wikimdia commons CC BY 3.0

Understanding the prime of the oil

Frantzolas notes that consumers indispensable recognize the differences betwixt other virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil, and refined olive oil, arsenic good arsenic which categories are considered highest and lowest quality.

Extra virgin olive oil is produced from axenic olives utilizing the cold-pressing method. This is the highest prime olive lipid with an impeccable sensation and aroma. Virgin olive lipid is somewhat inferior successful prime to other virgin, though with good flavors and aromas. The contented of escaped fatty acids (oleic acid) is constricted to 2 grams for each 1 100 grams of olive oil.

Simple olive oil, which lacks immoderate circumstantial designation, has a lighter colour than the supra categories. It is simply a blend of virgin and refined olive lipid (more connected this below), with a maximum acidity of 1 percent. Producers deduce refined olive lipid from virgin olive lipid done assorted carnal and chemic treatments. This benignant has precise debased acidity (maximum 0.3 percent) and a wide airy yellowish color. It lacks the diagnostic aroma and sensation of virgin olive oil, on with galore components that marque virgin olive lipid important for health.

Frantzolas states that it is not successful people’s champion involvement to devour refined olive lipid for little costs erstwhile they tin find other virgin olive lipid astatine akin terms points. “In the archetypal glass, I volition determination immoderate other virgin olive lipid [newly] opened from a bottle. The 2nd solid contains…refined olive oil. We don’t urge buying refined olive lipid during this play of precocious prices. Why is that?” helium inquired. “Because the terms is precise akin to other virgin, and its prime is not comparable. It lacks the phenols and benefits recovered successful other virgin oil.”

The aboriginal of olive lipid accumulation successful Greece

Greece is acceptable to surpass Italy and go Europe’s second-largest olive lipid shaper conscionable aft Spain. The study estimates that accumulation successful the 2022/23 harvest twelvemonth volition magnitude to 208,000 tons. This would spot Italy autumn from 2nd to 3rd spot among olive lipid producers successful Europe. Greece could transcend past year’s output and nutrient much than 300,000 tons, thereby surpassing Italy.

As the olive harvest gets underway successful Greece, expectations for accumulation are boosting producers’ hopes for a rewarding crop. High shaper prices stay steadily supra €4.50 per kilogram (about $5/kg) for other virgin olive lipid this year.

“Greece produces precise bully olive oil, but I wouldn’t accidental it’s the champion successful the world,” Frantzolas said. “In wide terms, I personally similar Italian olive lipid due to the fact that they person dedicated important efforts implicit the past 30 to 40 years to producing precise high-quality oils. Spanish producers besides marque high-quality olive oil, having focused their efforts implicit the past 20 years to predominate the markets. I’ve heard galore times that Spanish and Italian companies bargain ample quantities of high-quality olive lipid successful bulk from Greece and blend it with their ain oils.”

Frantzolas besides explained that olive lipid successful solid bottles is ever of amended prime than that successful integrative bottles. He advises consumers to debar olive oils stored successful integrative bottles and highlighted ways to sphere olive lipid quality.