Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site mcc-db.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!ut-sally!mcc-db!begeman From: begeman@mcc-db.UUCP (Michael Begeman) Newsgroups: net.cooks Subject: Re: olive oil (a few facts) Message-ID: <101@mcc-db.UUCP> Date: Mon, 11-Mar-85 09:38:06 EST Article-I.D.: mcc-db.101 Posted: Mon Mar 11 09:38:06 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 12-Mar-85 21:21:45 EST References: <521@ahutb.UUCP> <429@harvard.ARPA> Organization: MCC (Austin, TX) Lines: 23 The March 1985 issue of Smithsonian (V 15, # 12) has an excellent article on olive oil. Summarized here are a few interesting points: Olive oil is the only edible oil made from a fruit (other oils are from nuts and seeds), and has no added chemicals, additives or solvents. To make the oil, the olives are gathered from the trees and crushed into a paste. This paste is then put into a press, and the liquid that comes out is centrifuged to separate the oil. No refining is necessary for the *good* oil, which brings up quality. Olive oil is graded by Italian law as to % acidity (I don't know if these names can be applied to Spanish and Greek oils). The gradings are: "extra virgin" less than 1% acidity "super-fine virgin" less than 1.5% acidity "fine virgin" less than 3%, and "simple virgin" less than 4%. Note that oil sold in the US as "pure olive oil" or just "olive oil" is a blend of virgin and refined oils (the Italians consider "refined" oils as suitable for use in lamps, never on food...). For those interested in olive oil, the article is a must. Some beautiful pictures of Italy, the trees, and the oil-making process round it out.