WHAT IS THE OIL COMMERCIALY KNOWN AS 'OLIVE OIL'?

When the olive harvest takes place, not all the olives are suitable for producing Extra Virgin or Virgin Olive Oil. There is a significant percentage of olive production of poor quality due to reasons such as being bruised, fallen to the ground, damaged by pests or weather conditions, overripe, etc. These poor-quality olives undergo a separate process at the olive mill, from which we obtain another type of oil: Lampante Olive Oil.

Approximately 50% of the Olive Oil produced in Spanish olive mills is Lampante Virgin Olive Oil. It is a lower-quality product and, furthermore, it is not suitable for consumption. These types of oils have high acidity and an unpleasant taste and odor that prevent direct consumption. In fact, the traditional name "lampante" comes from its use as fuel in oil lamps.

Since it is not suitable for consumption due to its poor quality, its destination is the oil refineries to produce Refined Olive Oil. As a result, Refined Olive Oil is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless vegetable fat, which is only distinguishable from other vegetable oils (such as sunflower, soybean, rapeseed, etc.) by its oleic acid content, the only nutritional advantage it retains after refining.

What is the difference between Olive Oil and Refined Olive Oil? 1. Refined Olive Oil has nothing natural about it and bears no resemblance to Virgin Olive Oils (Extra Virgin Olive Oil - EVOO). As a consumer, you should be aware of the following ten points: 2. Refined Olive Oil is more similar to Refined Sunflower Oil than to Virgin Olive Oil. 3. All known oils, except Virgin and Extra Virgin Olive Oil, undergo a refining process to make them suitable for human consumption. This refining process is the same for all oils. 4. The only oil in the world that can be consumed without the need for refining is Virgin Olive Oil, as it is olive juice and can be consumed as such. This fact is unknown to the majority of Olive Oil consumers in Spain. 5. Refined Olive Oil is not marketed on its own as it has no taste or smell. To sell it, it needs to be mixed with regular Virgin Olive Oil. The blend of Refined Oil (usually 80%-90%) and Virgin Olive Oil (10%-20%) is sold as Olive Oil. 6. The percentage of the blend (10%-20% Virgin Olive Oil) gives the Refined Oil its taste, smell, and color. This oil, a mixture of mostly refined olives and some virgin olives, is known as Olive Oil. It is the most consumed oil in Spain, making it the only country where the saying "In the blacksmith's house, a wooden knife" holds true. This fact can only be explained by consumers' lack of knowledge about the different types of Olive Oil: Extra Virgin Olive Oil (the juice of the highest quality olives). Virgin Olive Oil (juice of slightly inferior quality to EVOO). Olive Oil (a blend of refined olive oil and virgin olive oil). Although there is growing interest in knowing which oil we consume, how Olive Oil is produced, or which variety it belongs to, there are still many Olive Oil consumers who are unaware of what they are consuming. Not everything labeled as Olive Oil is naturally produced. Oil labeled as Olive Oil is a blend of 80%-90% Refined Olive Oil and 10%-20% Virgin Olive Oil. A common mistake is to confuse acidity with taste and assume that, in all Olive Oils, the higher the acidity, the stronger the taste. This is true for Olive Oil because it is a blend of Refined Oil and Virgin Oil. Since Refined Oil, with almost no taste or smell, constitutes a higher proportion in the blend and its acidity is close to zero, adding more Virgin Olive Oil will increase its taste, smell, and acidity. When comparing common Olive Oils in stores (0.4º and 1º), now labeled as 'Mild' and 'Intense,' respectively, the 'Intense' is better due to its higher proportion of Virgin Oil (up to 10%-20%), resulting in more taste and smell. Lower acidity in oils labeled as Olive Oil is not a sign of quality; on the contrary, it indicates that it is more refined, equivalent to more industrial treatments and fewer health benefits. The opposite is true for Virgin Olive Oils: the more taste and smell, the lower the acidity. Extra Virgin Olive Oils (EVOO), obtained from early-season olives (green olives), typically have very low acidity (0.2º-0.4º). However, their taste and smell are intense and pleasant. These oils can be bitter and spicy, which is not a defect but rather an indication of higher health properties. The acidity of Virgin and Extra Virgin Olive Oils can only be reduced by improving cultivation, harvesting, and processing techniques. In this case, lower acidity means better oil.