Olive oil question

which is the best extra virgin, virgin ,or just normal and what is the difference please.thanx

Depends what you want to use it for - I use extra virgin for salad dressings where I want to actually be able to taste the olives in it but for cooking I use "normal" so that you can't taste it.Don't really want olive flavoured banana muffins!

Extra virgin is the best.

Taste-wise yes but it's not suitable for everything because of the taste

The difference -
1. Extra virgin and virgin - the fruit is placed in a press and squeezed. No heat is applied. The oil is rich in the polyphenols (anti-oxidants),EFAs, vit K and calcium that comes with cold pressing. The fresher the oil, the more polyphenols it has so NZ oils are better than those that have taken a few months to reach here from far off lands.
2. The rest - Oil from olives (and/or the dregs from the cold pressed olives) is heat and/or chemically extracted. Solvents are used to clean it and possibly bleached added to disguise any rancidity caused because the oil was subjected to heat.

Different varieties of olives produce different flavoured oil. I love the oil from Clevedon because I can buy that at Auckland markets and can taste it before buying. I'd buy locally wherever I lived in NZ.

It is important to note that olive oil has a very low smoke point, after which time it converts to trans-fatty acids which are not healthy. I don't use olive oil in cooking. I prefer cold-pressed avocado oil, lard, dripping, butter or some nut oils.

Absolutely.With olive oil fresh is best.Village Press is a very good moderately priced local brand available in many supermarkets.

Urban Myth. You'd need a Science Lab not a domestic kitchen to achieve harm from using Olive Oil.

It is important to note that olive oil has a very low smoke point, after which time it converts to trans-fatty acids which are not healthy. I don't use olive
oil in cooking. I prefer cold-pressed avocado oil, lard, dripping, butter or
some nut oils.[/quote]

Agree this is an urban myth,Will only turn to transfats if repeatedly reused and heated to very high temps,not in a domestic situation

And the bit about disguising rancidity.