Cooking With Olive Oil
Benefits of Cooking with Olive Oil
The types of fats that we consume can greatly affect our health, which is why cooking with olive oil is an important thing to integrate into our diets.
Olive oil is produced in Greece, Spain, Italy, France and the U.S. with different methods used in each country. However, a few basic steps are in agreement in how oil is extracted from olives. Cold pressed, vacuum extraction, expeller expressed and solvent extraction are the types of processes used. The flavor of the olive oil is dependant on several factors, including:
●Type of olive
●Area of tree growth
●Maturity of the olive
●Harvest time and method
●Extraction process
There are several types of oil produced to help those cooking with olive oil to have the variety needed for different flavors. Three separate grades are used to define the oil flavors and uses, with multiple types falling under each grade. The grades are extra virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil and olive oil. A general rule of thumb to remember when cooking with olive oil is that the lighter the color, the more flavor it has.
Extra Virgin is generally an oil with a supreme flavor and aroma, and is best used uncooked. This delicious oil can be mixed with spices for dipping breads, drizzled onto pasta for flavoring, added to salads or as a condiment for fresh vegetables such as tomatoes and cucumbers. While it would not be harmful to cook with this grade, the delicious flavor would be removed through the cooking.
Virgin can also be used straight from the bottle to the plate, as it possesses very good flavor. It can also be used in cooking.
Olive Oil and Light Olive Oil are blends of virgin oil and refined oil; making them ideal for cooking. The term “light” applies only to the color and taste, and has no connotation to a dietary food.
When cooking with olive oil, it is important to note that it contains monounsaturated fat; a type of fat that is known to lower bad or LDL cholesterol levels in the blood, and lowers total cholesterol overall. This makes olive oil a smarter and better choice for dietary considerations. Studies have shown that those who are cooking with olive oil eat less food, and benefit from maintained weight or weight loss without making any other changes.
Cooking with olive oil has definite and proven health benefits, which should be enough to encourage anyone to use the oil regularly in place of any other oils. Add to the obvious health benefits the delicious flavor and versatility of olive oil and it just seems to be common sense to integrate this vital element into our foods for a diet rich in olive oil.