Absolutely! Olive oil is the best oil for frying because it withstands high temperatures better.

Using olive oil for frying offers several health benefits:

• Olive oil allows frying at temperatures ranging from 130°C (266°F) to 240 ºC (460 ºF).
• It forms a thin, resistant, crispy, and golden coating that prevents food from absorbing too much oil. This results in lighter, easier-to-digest dishes.
• It also keeps meat juicy, preserving its nutritional value while making it more appetizing.
• Unlike other oils, olive oil fries ingredients rather than just cooking them.
• Nutrients remain intact even at 180°C (380°F).

Just like other condiments such as pepper, vinegar, or salt, the use of olive oil depends on personal preference.

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• Intense and rich extra virgin olive oil can be used for cooking or seasoning fish, meat, or drizzling over bold-flavored ingredients like paprika or garlic.
• Balanced and moderately rich extra virgin olive oil is ideal for drizzling over white fish, chicken, tomatoes, or mozzarella, as well as for dipping bread. It also pairs well with vinaigrettes or for drizzling over a variety of cooked vegetables or baked potatoes.
• Mild extra virgin olive oil, from late harvests, is perfect for baking bread or making mayonnaise.

If it’s your first time using olive oil for frying, start with one that is neither too strong nor too expensive. Then, add a touch of flavorful olive oil after cooking or directly at the table.

The most important thing is personal preference. Keep in mind that one tablespoon of olive oil contains 120 calories.

When exposed to oxygen, light, and heat, olive oil can oxidize and deteriorate. While degraded olive oil contains fewer antioxidants, it is not harmful to health.

Once the bottle is opened, oxidation speeds up the oil’s deterioration. To properly store your olive oil:

• Keep it in a dark, airtight container or in a cupboard, away from light, heat, air, and strong odors.
• While refrigeration does not damage the oil, it is not necessary to store it in the fridge.
• Each oil ages at a different rate. Some olive varieties produce oils rich in natural antioxidants, which deteriorate more slowly. These oils can last up to two years if stored in an airtight container.
• Always make sure the bottle is tightly sealed to prevent oxygen from getting in.

If you buy olive oil in large formats, such as a 5-liter bottle, avoid opening it too frequently. Instead, fill two small bottles for daily use and keep the large bottle well sealed when not in use.

No, the taste depends on the type of extra virgin olive oil. The flavor of olive oil varies based on:

• The olive variety
• The growing region
• The ripeness of the fruit
• The type of soil
• The climatic conditions

Absolutely. Bitterness, whether mild or pronounced, is a quality characteristic of the best virgin olive oils.

The color depends on several factors:

• The olive variety
• The ripeness of the fruit at harvest
• The climatic conditions
• The soil conditions

The color of virgin olive oil can range from pale yellow to dark green.

Not necessarily. Color does not determine the taste or quality of olive oil.

• Olive oils can range from dark green to golden yellow, depending on their type. 
• Many assume that greener oils are fresher, but that is not always true; a yellow oil can be just as fresh and pure.

However, exposure to oxygen, light, or heat can cause oxidation, which alters the color. For example, poorly stored oil in a bright cupboard may turn reddish-orange. Oxidation reduces chlorophyll and carotenoids, gradually fading the green hue.

The freezing point of olive oil depends on the olive variety and its ripeness at the time of production. Generally, olive oil begins to solidify below 7°C (45°F).

Extra virgin olive oils contain various triglycerides, each with a different solidification temperature. These triglycerides include fatty acids such as:

• Oleic acid
• Palmitic acid
• Linoleic acid
• Stearic acid

When temperatures drop, some fatty acids solidify, forming white, wax-like clumps. This does not mean the oil is spoiled and does not affect its quality.

Some olive varieties produce waxes that create long, thin crystals, while others form thicker or more opaque deposits. This can also happen outside the fridge, such as during winter transportation.

Free fatty acids are a direct measure of the quality of olive oil, revealing the care taken from the harvest of the olives to the bottling process.

• A freshly pressed extra virgin olive oil made from good olives and produced with care will have very low acidity, typically below 0.5%.
• To be classified as extra virgin, the acidity of the oil must not exceed 0.8%.

Acidity is an important chemical criterion that, along with other factors, helps to categorize olive oil in the market. It is expressed as a percentage of free oleic acid per 100 g of oil.

The key is that olive oil retains its properties as long as it is not heated beyond its critical point. This is the temperature at which the oil begins to break down.

Olive oil has a high critical point of 210°C (410°F), well above the ideal frying temperature of 180°C (356°F).

For reference, here are the standard cooking temperatures, according to the tables of the International Olive Council (IOC):

Although the smoke point of extra virgin olive oil is lower than that of other oils, it has a unique advantage:

• Thanks to its richness in antioxidants, olive oil breaks down less and more slowly than other cooking oils.
• This helps maintain a more stable cooking temperature during frying, ensuring that foods absorb less oil.

Comparison of smoke points of different oils: