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<pre>SOURCE: http://www.theolivepress.com/anythin...ral.html#world
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Q. Where in the world are olives produced?

A. Olives are produced in Spain, Italy, France, Greece, Tunisia, Morocco,
Turkey, Portugal, China, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Mexico, Angola, South Africa,
Uruguay, Afghanistan, Australia, and (thanks to some Spanish missionaries)
in California.

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Q. What region produces most of the world's olives?

A. The Mediterranean area.

There are said to be about 800 million olive trees growing on earth at this
moment. 93 percent of those trees are growing in the Mediterranean area -
the birthplace of the olive.
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Q. How is the quality of olive oil judged?

A. Olive oil is judged by taste and acidity level.

Chemical testing is used to judge the acidity of the oil. The highest
quality oil contains the lowest acidity levels.

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Q. What is extra virgin olive oil?

A. Extra virgin is the highest grade of olive oil.

It must have an acidity level of not more than 1 percent, or 1 gram per 100
grams of oil. Many of the finer oils have acidity levels lower than this.
Extra virgin oil must also have perfect aroma, flavor and color which is
determined from subjective tasting by an accredited panel of experts.

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Q. What is virgin olive oil?

A. Very good oil, but with slightly higher acidity.

Virgin olive oil must have an acidity level of not more than 1.5 percent,
and must maintain the perfect aroma, flavor and color standards of extra
virgin oil.

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Q. What is ordinary olive oil?

A. A good oil but with much higher acidity.

Ordinary olive oil is virgin oil of good taste with an acidity level lower
than 3.3 percent. Oil with an acidity level of more than 3.3 percent is
considered not suitable for human consumption and is destined for refining
or technical uses.

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Q. What is refined olive oil?

A. Oil that has been chemically refined to remove imperfections.

Refined olive oil is produced from virgin olive oil that has flavors and
other properties that must be corrected by chemical refining. Lye is used to
purify, decolorize and deodorize the oil. Oil produced from damaged olives
will usually require refining.

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Q. What is pure olive oil?

A. A low cost blend of refined and virgin oil.

Pure olive oil is blended to obtain a taste and color thought to be desired
by the consumer.

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Q. What is residue or Pomace oil?

A. The lowest quality oil approved for human consumption.

Pomace oil is obtained by treating the olive residue or Pomace from previous
pressings with solvents to extract any residual oil.

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Q. What is a Label of Origin (D.O.C. , A.C.)?

A. Official designation of the area in which the oil was produced.

It is recognized that certain European regions are noted for producing
exceptional olive oils. Spain was the first to recognize this, and
established the D.O.C. system (Denominaciones de Origen). The established
Spanish regions are Baena and Sierra de Segura in Andalusia and Les
Garrigues and Siurana in Cataluna.

France followed by establishing their Appellation d'Origine Controlee (A.C.)
and bestowed it on Nyons for olive oil and table olives.

Subsequently, in 1995-96, the European Union established a union wide D.O.C.
system to which more areas (especially in Italy) are expected to be added.
So far, no such system has been established in the United States.

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Q. Is olive oil good for cooking?

A. Yes.

Olive oil has always been used in all forms cooking - roasting, broiling,
sautéing and frying. It is a healthy substitute for butter and other
saturated fats.

The smoking point of olive oil is the same as corn oil. It can be used for
deep fat frying and does not break down as fast as corn oil. As with other
oils, it should be strained after each use and not allowed to overheat.

Of course, using uncooked oil as a condiment and dressing for vegetables,
pasta and salads is when the full flavor of the your finest oils can be
appreciated. Expensive extra virgin oils should be saved for these
delightful purposes, and not used for cooking.

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Q. When did the olive first appear in a cookbook?

A. Olives appear in one of the first cookbooks ever discovered - the 2000
year old Roman De re coquinaria in which Apicius writes of mixing roots,
leaves and salt into Spanish oil to fake the higher quality Liburnian oil
from the South of Istria!

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Q. Can you tell the quality of an oil by its color?

A. No.

Some believe that better oil has a greener color. This is probably because
oils which are pressed earlier in the season are from greener olives and
usually produce a greener oil.

In truth, color is not a very reliable way to judge either the quality or
the flavor of an oil. Very fine oils can be any shade of green or yellow and
their flavor may range from punchy and peppery to light and fruity.

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Q. How should you store olive oil?

A. Olive oil should not be exposed to heat, light or air for any length of
time.

It need not be refrigerated, but should be stored in a dark, cool place. If
you buy an oil that is sold in a clear glass bottle, choose a more protected
bottle from the darker rear of the shelf.

Oils are generally stored in dark bottles, large tins, stainless steel
containers, or glazed ceramic jars.

Never store oil in plastic containers since some plastic compounds may be
absorbed by the oil.

Oil is at its best in its first year. It should be discarded after two years
or at the first sign of turning rancid.

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Q. Why do olives off the tree taste so awful?

A. Acrid tasting oleuropin is present in their skin.

Olive oil is not negatively affected, but olives intended for the table must
have it removed by any of several techniques:

1. Soaking in oil for several months (oil-cured)

2. Soaking, rinsing and resoaking in water for many months (water-cured)

3. Soaking in brine for one to six months (brine-cured)

4. Packing in salt for one to several months (dry-cured)

5. Soaking in a strong alkaline solution for a few days (lye-cured)

After curing, seasoning is added, and the olives magically transform into
one of the world's oldest delicacies..

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<pre>Olives were one of the earliest of cultivated products.

In pre-historic era, olive oil was much more valuable as fuel for
providing illumination, than as a food item.

The relative expense and specialized skills needed, to construct and
operate pressing mills, produced one of the earliest motivations for
people of the pre-historic era, to look outside their own village for
ethnic/political affiliations.
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<pre>>Q. What is a Label of Origin (D.O.C. , A.C.)?
>
>A. Official designation of the area in which the oil was produced.
>
>It is recognized that certain European regions are noted for producing
>exceptional olive oils. Spain was the first to recognize this, and
>established the D.O.C. system (Denominaciones de Origen). The established
>Spanish regions are Baena and Sierra de Segura in Andalusia and Les
>Garrigues and Siurana in Cataluna.

This information should be updated.

There are now SIX Labels of Origin in Spain: the four that are mentioned
before plus

- Priego de Cordoba
- Sierra Magina

both in Andalusia. Moreover, there are at least two new labels that are
under consideration.

More in http://www.mapya.es/pags/aliment/aceite/aceite.htm

Gonzalo

================================================== ==============
M. Gonzalo CLAROS, Ph.D. claros@uma.es
Dpt. Biologia Molecular y Bioquimica claros@cica.es
Facultad de Ciencias Fax: (34) 95 213 20 00
Universidad de Malaga
E-29071 Malaga (Spain) http://www.nitrogeno.uma.es/FMP/
</pre>
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