Olive Oil:  A Spanish Love Affair

Traveling for the last few years throughout Spain, I have come to treasure Spanish olive oil.  Not all olive oil is the same, and you have an enormous variety to choose from.   The Spanish health regulations define three grades of olive oil:  Virgin Olive Oil, Refined Olive Oil and Olive Oil.

Virgin is oil expressed from olives by methods that do not modify it’s basic properties.  

Under Virgin classification there are three properties:

*Extra:  this oil exhibits the best taste characteristics and has an acidity level of no higher than 1%

*Corriente:  this is average oil with a good taste and an acidity level no higher than 3.3%

*Lampante: this is a strong oil that possesses little taste or has an acidity level above 3.3%

Under Refined Olive Oil is virgin oil where the taste or acidity level make it unsatisfactory, but once refined the results are a marked improvement.  This is a healthy and very usable product, it just lacks the full taste of virgin olive oil.

Under Olive Oil is a blend of both refined and virgin olive oil. This is the overall market standard.

One of my all time favorite Spanish olive oils is Nunez de Prado, and we had the unique opportunity a few years ago to visit an all organic olive oil production plant.  It was not only a treat to see, but a culinary delight to taste.  Their Flor de Aceite (flower of the olive oil) is hand-labeled and numbered to enhance traceability.  Check out the article in the Olive Oil Times under The Nunez de Prado Obsession with Perfection.  You can purchase this product in the US at Whole Foods Markets or if you are lucky enough to travel to Spain, you can buy it at your local El Corte Ingles.  I always travel with plastic wine bottle bags that are insulated and sealed to carry a few of these precious gems home with me after each Spain trip.  Remember, you need to pack it in your checked in luggage, so be very careful to make sure it is wrapped generously to avoid breakage.

BUEN PROVECHO!!