Israel Romero / Wednesday, September 13, 2023 / Categories: Blog Why buy Spanish virgin olive oil instead of Italian? Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil We often hear, both in Europe and in the USA, that extra virgin olive oil (AOVE) — the best — is Italian. And why is that? It's true that their oil is excellent, but there's a lot of marketing we should unmask so we realize that the best EVOO is Spanish. EVOO is an extraordinary product Spanish Premium EVOO, a luxury with great potential At Made in Spain Gourmet, Only the Best But why do they mostly choose Italian? The answer is very simple. Italy has done its homework to be known and recognized as the reference. Image, branding and a lot of promotion. But be careful — not everything that glitters is gold (liquid gold in this case). It is not the country that produces the most EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), yet it is the one that sells the most. How is that achieved? With ingenuity and boldness, and again, with a lot of marketing. Consumption in Italy is very high, and to export they need to cover demand with other international oils. And where do they buy the most? In Spain. Later they blend it with their own and keep selling it under an Italian brand. Bravo! And we “let them do it” — but for how long? I hope not for much longer. EVOO is an extraordinary product You must distinguish between olive oil and extra virgin olive oil. The former is the most consumed type of olive oil in Spain (sadly). It is a blend of refined olive oils and virgin or extra virgin olive oils. The proportion, which is not usually indicated on the label, ranges between 10 and 15% virgin, and the rest is refined. (It comes from the refining of lampante virgin olive oil. It is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless olive oil.) The second, the extra virgin olive oil, is, among virgin olive oils, the category of olive oil of the highest quality. For a virgin olive oil to be considered extra it must meet two conditions: one of a chemical nature, summarized in the percentage of acidity, and another of an organoleptic nature, that is, flavor and aroma, which is verified through tasting. The acidity must be less than or equal to 0.8°. In a tasting panel, the median of the defect must be zero, and the median of the fruity attribute must be greater than zero. There are several benefits of extra virgin olive oil A rich source of polyphenols, antioxidants, and healthy fats. Helps prevent cardiovascular diseases. Olive oil reduces the risk of cancer. Moderate intake of olive oil helps with weight loss. The healthiest oil for your dishes. Spanish Premium EVOO, a luxury with great potential We are the leading country in EVOO production, with more than 270 olive varieties, and with a large number of them we produce this wonderful olive juice that is so healthy for our bodies. It’s so good that Italians buy it from us to improve theirs. As more Spanish companies seek to project their brands into domestic and international markets, we realize that something is changing for the better in our country. Our varieties — picual, hojiblanca, arbequina, cornicabra, empeltre, royal, manzanilla, empeltre, arbosana… — are all excellent. Even in “coupage,” that is, blended together to create new oils with extraordinary textures and flavors. No one variety is better than the others; they complement each other and, in other cases, are simply different. That’s why choosing EVOO shouldn’t be seen as selecting just one variety. At home, we recommend having several varieties to enjoy their complementarities. At Made in Spain Gourmet, Only the Best Our obsession is not to achieve excellence, but to convey it — not only through the quality of the outstanding product, but also through excellence in communication, because you have to explain, for example, the concepts of ethics in producing EVOO, transparency in explaining all processes, and innovation and development to obtain better oils, and that is expressed through the people who make up the brands we have chosen to be part of our family at Made in Spain Gourmet. The EVOOs you find on our website, www.madeinspain.store, we guarantee represent the best produced in Spain, and perhaps from now on you will value a product that is truly extraordinary more accurately and more highly. Smoother than the Italians’, with many more nuances and with their own personality. I hope I have convinced you. Your palate, for sure! Our recommendations Isbilya EVOO Lagar del Soto Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Manzanilla Cacereña Jacoliva Why isn't Gourmet Spain a universal brand? United States: understanding them and introducing them to the best of our gourmet products. Print 2 Rate this article: No rating Please login or register to post comments.