Varietal Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6 products
EVOO: What Sets it Apart
Fresh EVOO is fruity, green, and full-bodied. It can be peppery and bitter, or it can be mellow and creamy. Even the scent sets it apart from other vegetable oils, often exhibiting notes of fresh-cut grass, stone fruit, and herbs. The pungent scent and taste of EVOO is largely due to the incredible array of bioactive compounds that make the oil such an esteemed part of a healthy diet. EVOO is associated with improved cardiovascular and brain health, longer life, and lower incidence of cancer. Research indicates that the biophenols, healthy fats, and secondary compounds that make up EVOO are a primary driver of these effects.
Why Freshness is Paramount for EVOO
At Evoolution, we focus on freshness, from the ground up. Every step from growing, to harvesting, to crushing must be performed with care to result in oils that not only meet, but exceed the extra virgin grade.
There shouldn't be more than 3-4 hours from when the olives are harvested to when they are crushed. The extracted oil then undergoes chemical and sensory testing to determine whether it can be graded as extra virgin olive oil. If it fails even one test, the oil must be graded lower, and cannot legally be sold as extra virgin olive oil.
The standards set by the International Olive Council for extra virgin olive oil dictate that EVOO is a fresh oil, extracted without the use of heat or solvents, that passes chemical testing, and retains some fruitiness. The standards we adhere to at Evoolution are even more stringent, with tighter chemical parameters that ensure you get the freshest oils, chock full of health benefits and flavour.
We receive EVOO from countries in the Northern Hemisphere shortly after their harvest in September-December. The other half of the year, our oils come from the Southern Hemisphere, after their harvest in April- June. With this two hemisphere solution, we are able to ensure you never go without the freshest extra virgin olive oil in the world.
To learn more about how extra virgin olive oil is produced, the health benefits, and how we recommend incorporating it into your diet, check out our EVOO Masterclass page here.
FAQs
Yes, all of our olive oils are cold pressed. By definition, an EVOO must not be extracted using heat, rather only through mechanical means. To learn more about what makes an olive oil extra virgin, read our blog here.
Yes, all of our EVOOs are first pressed. Extra virgin olive oil legally must be made from the first pressing of fresh olives. To read more on how EVOO is produced, read our blog here.
We categorize our varietal extra virgin olive oils as mild, medium, and robust in terms of the intensity of their flavour. Note that this is not added flavour, just the profile and strength of the oil imparted by the genetics, growing conditions, and harvest time of the olives. You can learn more about oil intensity and how to choose the right varietal for you in our blog about EVOO intensity.
EVOO can take a dish from good to great, in both flavour and health benefits. It can be as simple as frying your morning eggs in EVOO or swapping it into your go-to salad dressing recipe instead of a neutral oil. Try it in marinades and dips, as a finishing oil on pizza or even ice cream! There is no wrong way to do it; wherever you would use oil, extra virgin olive oil is the superior choice for flavour and for your health.
Yes! This is a very common myth, but it is just that. A fresh, quality extra virgin olive oil will have a high enough smoke point to fry foods due to a low free fatty acid percentage. Many of our varietal EVOOs have smoke points exceeding 400 Fahrenheit. We love frying and sautéing with extra virgin olive oil, both for the many health benefits and for the delicious flavour the oil imparts. To read more about this benefit of EVOO, explore our blog on free fatty acids and smoke point of EVOO.
A great place to start is by swapping EVOO in where you would normally use heavily saturated fats such as a butter or coconut oil. EVOO is full of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and has no cholesterol. Replacing mayo in dressings with a creamy EVOO is a great swap, too. Baking with EVOO is also a delicious way to incorporate the good fats; replacing 1 cup of butter with 3/4 cup of EVOO makes for moist and delicious cakes and cupcakes. Even swapping EVOO into a boxed brownie mix instead of neutral oil is delicious and better for you!
Yes, we do. We are able to receive a steady supply of fresh EVOO - unlike the grocery store - from groves all over the world, depending on what was most freshly harvested. We have a two hemisphere solution to seasonal supply: we receive EVOOs from the Northern Hemisphere for half of the year, after they were freshly crushed in September - December. For the other half of the year, we receive EVOO from the Southern Hemisphere, immediately after their crush in April - June. You can read more about the importance of freshness and seasonal supply in our blog about the two hemisphere solution.
Unless you are specifically looking for an olive oil from a certain country, the origin matters less than the care taken in producing the oil and the freshness or age of the oil. We receive a steady supply of EVOOs from mills all around the world, depending on what was most freshly harvested. To learn more about why fresh is always best when it comes to extra virgin olive oil, explore our blog on EVOO harvesting and quality.
Extra virgin olive oil is the cornerstone of the Mediterranean Diet for good reason. It has a superb fatty acid profile, full of monounsaturated fatty acids that can help improve your cholesterol profile by decreasing LDL cholesterol. It also contains an incredible range of biophenols; secondary compounds that can contribute to a range of positive health outcomes , primarily through anti-oxidative activity. Plus, as a plant oil, EVOO contains no cholesterol!
We typically carry 5-8 varietal EVOOs in store and sometimes they differ from what is seen online. We prioritize freshness, so occasionally the stock is asynchronous. Please call your local Evoolution location to check on their current varietal stock.