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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)
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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.