What is extra-virgin olive oil?
What is extra-virgin olive oil?
Extra-virgin olive oil is the precious unrefined first result of cold-pressing olives to make a fruity liquid that contains less than one percent acid.
Extra-virgin olive oil is the most expensive olive oil variety, and it is best appreciated in salads or as a garnish to give preparations a final flourish. If you are using olive oil to cook, it's fine to use regular olive oil.
Greece is the #1 consumer of olive oil in the world and also the leading producer of extra virgin olive oils, which account for 82 percent of their olive oil production. The U.S. is not a member of the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC), which regulates olive oil standards worldwide, and the IOOC does not recognize the U.S. standards for extra-virgin oil.
There is much controversy in the olive oil world, with accusations of corruption and adulteration smearing consumer confidence and shedding doubt on the purity of so-called virgin olive oil.
PDO stands for "Protected Designation of Origin," a product label established by European Union law in 1992 to protect the names of regional foods.
The designation is meant to keep producers of regional products safe from unfair competition and rivals who may try to pass off inferior knock-offs using prestigious labels. The notion of PDO is tied to the idea of terroir and the importance of using raw materials and production methods from a certain region as a measure of authenticity.
PDO laws are designed to protect cheeses like Parmigiano-Reggiano and Champagne, the world's most famous sparkling wine. But the laws also extend to hams, olives, sausages, beers, vegetables, and regional breads.
The EU has bilateral agreements with some countries to help enforce these laws. The U.S. is not one of them, which is why you can find generic American-made "parmesan," "champagne," "camembert," "prosciutto," "feta" and other protected products on the market.
Some regional trademark protections do exist in the U.S. for products such as Vidalia onions, which must come from a designated region around Vidalia, Georgia. But keep in mind that brand names don't necessarily indicate where a product is made. Philadelphia Cream Cheese was never made in Philly.
A list of PDO-designated products can be found here.
