Firstly, high-polyphenol olive oil should be stored in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight. Exposure to light and heat can cause oxidation and spoilage of the oil. Therefore, it is best to store the oil in a dark-colored, airtight container to protect it from light and air. Olive oil is a buzzed-about “superfood” today, but we aren’t the only ones singing its praises. In fact, ancient people in the Mediterranean basin had another designation they preferred: they believed olive trees were sent by the gods. The legend goes that when the city of Athens was founded, the goddess Athena created the olive tree so that they would choose her as their patron, rather than the god Poseidon. This 100% natural and additive-free olive juice is a top-quality product that is free from negative defects. Harvested at the end of September 2022, the olives used to make this juice come from the Arbequina variety, which is a Spanish variety grown in Manisa/Koprubasi, Turkey. The producers of this olive oil are ranked 6th among the world's best olive oil producers according to the EVOO World Ranking, with an impressive record of 12 competitions and 58 awards. As with today, the earliest agriculturalists likely selected for the trees that bore fruit early and produced ample yields. When an olive is harvested earlier (whilst it is green, fresh and unripe), the oil is fruitier, more complex and contains more polyphenols. Polyphenols are important when describing the health benefits of olive oil – they are micronutrients with antioxidant properties that are thought to play a role in managing various illnesses, including diabetes, neurovascular disease and cardiovascular disease. Generally speaking, an early harvest guarantees an oil that contains the maximum level of polyphenols for good health.

For Californian olive oils, look for the seal from the California Olive Oil Council—COOC Certified Extra Virgin.Extra-virgin (EVOO) is the highest grade of olive oil you can buy. It’s extracted using the cold-pressing method, which ensures the olives are not heated to above 27°C. This preserves the flavour and antioxidant properties of the olives, and usually means the oil has a more aromatic flavour. There are a range of different ways that fraud manifests, though it comes down to the basic principle of buying low and selling high. It’s the key to good business and the key to profitable crime. You can do this in a number of ways with olive oil. The most common is to blend in low-grade olive oil, or other vegetable oils like soybean oil or sunflower oil, which are much cheaper, then sell the resulting mix as “extra virgin olive oil.” I sympathize with the FDA here in the states: It is an extremely important organization that is systemically understaffed and underfunded, meaning that it can’t achieve its mission. And its mission is to ensure that the food and drugs in America are safe for consumers. They don’t have the bandwidth to look into olive oil because it’s too far down the list of priorities when it comes to health risks. But what sets Istrian extra virgin olive oil apart is more than just flavor. Steeped in centuries of cultivation knowledge passed down through generations, it's no wonder that these precious droplets contain not just taste but also health benefits. It’s an ode to nature's bounty, an antidote to the hidden dangers of seed oils. Welcome, dear reader, to a journey through time and taste. Picture yourself in Croatia, a land bathed in radiant sunshine and kissed by the cool breeze of the Adriatic Sea. You might be holding a bottle of Croatian olive oil, a golden liquid that dances with rich flavor and history. It's no ordinary oil; it's a symbol of Croatian heritage, an emblem of Mediterranean gastronomy. Croatian olive oil, acclaimed globally, has become an integral part of the culinary world, gracing kitchens from Europe to America with its robust flavor and undeniable quality. That bottle you're holding is more than just olive oil; it's a drop of Croatian history. Ancient Roman Influence on Croatian Olive Oil An affiliation is no guarantee that the olive oil is extra virgin – some are more reputable than others, but none can offer an absolute guarantee short of testing every batch right into the hands of the consumer (which is impossible). The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) pulls extra virgin olive oil samples off retail shelves in Canadian stores to test the oils to make sure they’re real. They have tested samples of our olive oils on multiple occasions with no issues. That’s just a starting point though. There’s a wide range of quality among legitimately labelled extra virgin olive oils.

In fact, recent research from olive oil experts, Filippo Berio and Glasgow University has discovered that eating 20ml of raw (meaning, uncooked) olive oil each day, has significant heart health benefits. The research also shows that no other type of oil has a positive effect on heart health (sorry sunflower and rapeseed oil!). Olives are stone fruits like cherries or plums. And much like fruit juice, extra virgin olive oil should be made from freshly squeezed olives. It’s literally fresh juice—sure, olive oil keeps better than citrus, but you don’t squeeze your oranges on July 1, and drink the juice on August 27. This exceptionally fruity and buttery Spanish extra-virgin olive oil is one of the freshest you can get. Made from olives cold-pressed on the first day of the harvest – when they’re at peak ripeness – it has all of the classic hallmarks of a champion unrefined EVOO. According to Haaretz, “What species of olive cannot be known; archaeologists have sharply differing opinions about that, let alone when the olive became known and used in the Levant.” Unravel the threads of time, and you'll find the roots of Croatian olive oil intertwined with the history of Roman occupation. Olives and their liquid gold held a sacred place in Roman society. Whether for culinary use, lighting lamps, or anointing bodies in religious rites, olive oil was indispensable.Also beware of ambiguous wording. Just because an oil says it’s a ‘product of Spain’, for example, doesn’t mean the olives were grown or harvested there. This can simply mean it’s been imported from elsewhere and bottled there. Interestingly enough, the traditional ways of making olive oil have not changed much since the early days, even as the plants have made their way to the new world. Internationally, there are more seals to seek out, like the Extra Virgin Alliance (EVA), and UNAPROL, the respected Italian olive grower’s association, which stamps their recommended bottles with a “100% Qualita Italiana” label. The Italian fraud squad recently announced they were investigating allegations that the country's largest olive oil producers have adulterated Italian oil with cheaper imports from Spain, Greece, Morocco and Tunisia. The European Commission didn't simply stumble upon this gem from Croatia. It was recognition earned through rigorous standards and unyielding commitment to quality. The stamp of approval as a high-quality product underlines Croatia's dedication to preserving its ancient heritage while embracing modern techniques in olive oil production.