Olive oil refers to the juices extracted from olives removed from the trees and is sought after by many due to its health benefits. It is the monounsaturated fatty acids which are believed to be beneficial, in particular with regards to the control of cholesterol levels. Olive oil is, of course, used not only for health reasons; it also has a great taste. Olive oil is a major element within a Mediterranean diet and is utilized for food and cooking purposes in addition to other uses such as an ingredient for skin products.



Cold Pressing Olive to Produce the Oil

Olive oil is oil that is produced from the crushing of the fruit without the addition of chemical substances. If you want natural, go for a good olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is the best there is. The first preserve is usually referred to as extra virgin olive oil. This excellent oil is produced from the first pressing of the olives and is considered to be the finest, as it has gone through the least procedures.

Cold pressing uses no chemicals, just pure pressure to extract the fine juices from the olive fruit. The use of the word 'cold' in the term 'cold pressed' is important as sometimes hot water or steam is added to the olive paste in order to extract more oil from the fruit, but it is believed that this changes the composition of the olive oil. Thus, cold press basically means that the fine taste of the olives will not have been altered by heat or chemicals.

How Does Olive Oil Taste Like

Olive oil can appear in different colors. Many consider the tasting of a good olive oil to be rather like the tasting of a good wine. The scent of a good olive oil should smell of olives and the oil should have a taste of olives. You may also note other vague flavors such as apple. Upon tasting one of the best olive oils you may appreciate a peppery touch at the end. This is usually due to the olive fruit being harvested early and this is a good sign. If a sharp taste is noticed, the oil may be rancid, or bad.

Although it is a generalization, it can be said that the deeper the color of the olive oil, the stronger the taste of the olive fruit. Experts in the field of olive harvesting would probably believe that the art is in the picking. The best time to pick the olives for oil is when they are not fully ripe but are purple or almost black in color. If the fruit is left longer on the trees the acidity levels become higher and this in turn reduces the quality of the olive oil.

Storage

Bottles of olive oil should always be kept tightly closed in a dark place that is preferably cool. Such oil may be kept in the fridge. However, it should be noted that this may alter its appearance, but the flavor should not be affected.

Recipe of the Day

Grilled Prawns with Lemon Infused Olive Oil

This is a very simple recipe and can be used for cooked prawns, grilled baby octopus or other type of cooked seafood. The key to this recipe is not to cook the precious olive oil. As the olive oil is produced from cold press, it will be considered as committing the 'cardinal sin' to now cook it. The key reason the cold press extraction process is used is to preserve the original composition of the oil.

The lemon infused oil gives that fresh fragrance that compliments any seafood dish.

Serving Size

1. One Person

Ingredients

1. 10 Large Green Prawns shelled and de-veined

2. A good bottle of cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil

3. Garden salad

4. 1/4 cup coriander leaves finely chopped

5. 1 tsp Balsamic vinegar (optional)

Method

1. Grilled your prawns until it is cooked, place them in a plate to cool down for a while. If you use cooked prawns, just shelled them;

2. Wash your salad vegetables and mix in the finely chopped coriander leaves;

3. Arrange this salad mixture on your serving plate. Use different colour vegetables to brighten the dish;

4. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar on the salad mixture if you choose to use it. It will gives it a bit of a kick but do not over do it otherwise it will destroy the flavour of the olive oil;

5. Arrange your slightly cool prawns on top of the bed of salad or on the side depending on your creativity on the day;

6. Now, drizzle generously the precious olive oil over the whole dish, use as much or as little as you like and serve.