The Olive Oil Story

The olive oil story

Olives, first cultivated in the Mediterranean region around 5000 B.C., soon found their way to Turkey, Greece and Egypt, and before long, to southern France, southern Italy and Africa. By first century A.D., Italy was producing olive oil. Apart from being rich and fragrant, olive oil is also extremely healthy. Olive oil can do no wrong.

Types of olive oils

Regular or Pure Olive Oil: This is chemically refined and filtered to neutralise acid content and undesirable strong flavours. Usually, this olive oil is of lower quality and is inexpensive.

Virgin Olive Oil: This type of olive oil has little-to-no manipulation during processing, and is produced without any chemical additives, which means it contains no refined oil. Also, the level of acidity is less then 2%, so it is better to taste.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: This comes directly from the first press and is of the highest quality, with the perfect flavour, aroma and balanced acidity. It is even less processed than virgin olive oil, therefore more delicate in taste. Also, due to its low smoking point, it is ideal for salad dressings, marinades and to eat with bread.

Cold Pressed Olive Oil: In earlier times, when the olive oil was pressed for the second time using hot water and steam, the heat during the second pressing took away the fine flavours. These days, however, in order to retain flavour, the olive oil is cold pressed. This means the olive paste is warmed to room temperature to avoid losing taste and is usually made in winter, when the weather is cold.

The many health benefits of olive oil

Packed with vitamins and antioxidants, olive oil bolsters the immune system and helps protect against viruses. In addition, it also has diverse benefits such as:

Reduces heart ailments: Since it is a monounsaturated fat, and is a “good” fatty acid (HDLs or High Density Lipoproteins), olive oil helps lower cholesterol (LDLs or Low Density Lipoproteins), which leads to heart diseases. In fact, many studies reveal that consuming 2tbsp of virgin olive daily can reduce the risk of heart diseases.

Blood Pressure: It can help reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Breast Cancer: The phytonutrient in olive oil, oleocanthal, mimics the effect of ibuprofen in reducing inflammation, which can decrease the risk of breast cancer and its recurrence.

Osteoporosis: Olive oil appears to improve bone mineralization and calcification. It helps with calcium absorption, thus relieving sufferers and preventing the onset of osteoporosis.

Nourishment: A short, but good 10-15 minutes massage can heal and moisturise dry skin. It can also help to keep chapped lips at bay. Tip: use it as a makeup remover.

Cosmetic wonder: Comb a drop of olive oil through hair to control flyaways and frizz. Also, rub some into your nail and cuticles for naturally healthy hands. 

Olive oil and Indian cooking

If you’re thinking, “Sure, but does it work with Indian cooking?”, the short answer is “Yes”. Brands like Leonardo offer Olive Pomace Oil, which is ideal for various methods and types of Indian cooking. What’s better? You need only 1/3^rd the amount of other edible oils, and due to its high smoking point, the oil can be reused 3-4 times. So whether you want to fry, roast or bhuno, rest assured that the food would taste just as good, if not more flavoursome.