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Here is a question from a "pre intermediate" home cook who lives in Spain. What is the difference between exta virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil, and simply olive oil? I gather that the non-virgin one is used for cooking while the other kinds can be consumed raw, on bread or salad...What is the difference between the superior kinds though? what determines a great taste of the oil? Is splurging 11 euros on a bottle of olive oil worth it?

moscafj
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Paulina Mazur
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    Possible duplicate of [What do "virgin" and "extra virgin" mean in regards to olive oil?](http://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/1614/what-do-virgin-and-extra-virgin-mean-in-regards-to-olive-oil) – moscafj Feb 20 '17 at 21:57
  • Thank you. That partly answers my question. Now I´d just like to know if there is a difference between one extra virgin olive oil and another or is it just a matter of branding (i.e. label and appearance) – Paulina Mazur Feb 20 '17 at 22:06
  • I don't know the difference but on the high end a bottle can be more than $100 US. – paparazzo Feb 20 '17 at 22:49
  • also related : http://cooking.stackexchange.com/q/62817/67 – Joe Feb 21 '17 at 00:31
  • @PaulinaMazur There is tremendous variability...country (or countries) of origin, location, production...think of extra virgin olive oil like one thinks of wine. You generally get what you pay for....though one needs to be careful. There is a lot of deception in the olive oil industry. If you want the best, look for single origin oil from a reputable producer. – moscafj Feb 21 '17 at 00:47
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    @PaulinaMazur...by the way, in Spain, you have access to some of the best olive oil....and at a very good price compared to here in the US. Take advantage by trying many different oils until you find your preferences! – moscafj Feb 21 '17 at 01:02
  • I don't know much about olive oil but I do know [the brand I buy at the store near me](http://filippoberio.com/products) (specifically, extra virgin, "normal", and extra light) has their intended purpose written on the bottom. Using these a lot I find that extra virgin -> normal -> extra light goes, respectively, along the scale from "tastes like olive oil" to "doesn't smoke as quickly". So I guess there's a balance of taste vs heat tolerance. Btw Google actually does have a [ton of great descriptions here](https://www.google.com/search?q=extra%20virgin%20olive%20oil%20vs%20olive%20oil). – Jason C Feb 21 '17 at 23:46
  • As for differences between brands like I said I don't know much but I assume in my inexperience that it's like any other oil, or, say, wine, whiskey, bread, cheese, beef, anything else with a finite number of types but a large range of sources. Different olives from different areas of the world, etc. I mean just consider the variety you see in olives themselves. I'm sure an experienced chef with a more refined palate than I can spot the differences no problem. – Jason C Feb 21 '17 at 23:48

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I can't really tell the difference between most of the big label suppliers of olive oil within the same grade of oil. The actual grade (virgin vs extra virgin) speaks to the processing of the oil and how many times the fruit is pressed.

I think the flavor is somewhat different between the grades with the extra virgin being somewhat more flavorful on its own.

In the US, there are also smaller boutique vendors of olive oil that basically treat olive oil like wine. You can go taste different oils with different olive varieties as their base. The flavor does vary quite a bit.

I think whether the cost is justified comes down to how you are using the oil and how much you care. The less you will process the oil through cooking or addition of other flavors, the more likely its worth using the best oil you can get. I wouldn't use an expensive oil to cook the potatoes of a tortilla española, but I may in a simple salad dressing or a dish where the oil is a major independent flavor.

CMB92
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As already said, there definitely is a lot of difference between olive oils. Some high-quality oils taste just amazing, and (unlike with wine, in fact) I never tasted a cheap oil that I liked when used in a prominent way in a raw dish. Hence, I absolutely would not consider it unreasonable to spend 11 € on a bottle. The one I liked best was I think ≈12 € for ½ litre, a Spanish “fruity” organic Extra Virgin. But even pricey oils aren't always good.

Normally I don't take such luxury but stay with something around 5 €. Some of these are perfectly ok even raw, and in cooked dishs with strong other tastes hardly make a difference from the best oils.

Either way, virgin olive oil should not be heated too much; for frying it's usually better to use neutral oils like refined rapeseed or coconut, or else butter. Except for garlic, which is magic when briefly sautéed in good olive oil; don't know why.

As for non-virgin, or “heat-tolerant” olive oil... there are some which don't taste like olive at all. Well, I don't see the point – might as well use rapeseed.

leftaroundabout
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