About olive oil – origin, production and taste | The Olive Label
About extra virgin olive oil
Olive oil is a pure natural product full of flavour, tradition, and healthy antioxidants. On this page, you can read how origin, harvest, production, and quality come together – and how to recognise, use, and appreciate real extra virgin olive oil.
What is olive oil?
Olive oil is the juice (oil) from pressed olives.
Its quality depends on the olive variety, cultivation, harvest time, production method, and the degree of oxidation or refining. Good olive oil is rich in healthy fatty acids and antioxidants (polyphenols). Poor quality oil contains little to none of these.
How is extra virgin olive oil made?
1. Harvesting
Early harvesting (greener olives) yields less oil but often more fruitiness, bitterness, and polyphenols. Later harvesting yields slightly more oil with a softer flavour profile and, on average, fewer polyphenols.
2. Cleaning
Branches, leaves, and dust are removed; the olives are washed with cold water.
3. Milling
The whole olives, including pits, are ground into a paste to release the oil.
4. Malaxation (mixing)
The paste is slowly mixed at a low temperature (below 27°C) so that small oil droplets combine into larger drops.
5. Extraction
The oil is mechanically separated from water and pulp via centrifuge or press. Result: a pure, cold-pressed olive oil.
Filtered & unfiltered (novello)
Many olive oils are filtered to remove solid particles, which extends shelf life. Unfiltered olive oil (such as Italian novello) is extremely fresh, still contains micro-residues of olive and some moisture, and often has an intense character.
Unfiltered olive oil has a shorter shelf life. It is generally unwise to buy unfiltered oil more than 5–6 months after harvest (so roughly until May). Unfiltered oil seen in supermarkets after June should be avoided.
The pulp remaining after filtration is called olive pomace.
What does olive oil consist of?
Fatty acids (± 98%)
- 70–80% oleic acid (monounsaturated)
- ±10% palmitic acid (saturated)
- ±7% linoleic acid (polyunsaturated)
Bioactive compounds (± 1–2%)
- Polyphenols
- Squalene
- Vitamin E (tocopherols)
- Phytosterols
- Chlorophyll & carotenoids
- Aromatic compounds
Only in extra virgin olive oil can you expect high levels of these substances. In refined oil, they are almost completely gone.
Types of olive oil (EU)
In the Netherlands, you usually see three categories:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Virgin olive oil
- Olive oil (without “extra” or “virgin”)
“Olive oil” (without extra/virgin) is, by EU definition, a mixture of refined olive oil and a small amount of virgin oil. It may seem harmless, but it is a completely different product from extra virgin.
What is extra virgin olive oil?
Extra virgin olive oil is the highest quality category and a legally protected term (EU 2022/2104 and 2022/2105). Only oil that meets strict chemical and sensory requirements may bear this name.
Quality requirements & tasting panel
Analytical (laboratory)
- Free acidity ≤ 0.8%
- Peroxide value ≤ 20
- UV absorption (K232/K270/ΔK)
- Authenticity parameters
Sensory (tasting)
A true EVOO has fruitiness and no defects (not rancid, musty, moldy, fermented, or metallic).
Award-winning olive oil
International olive oil awards can help better identify quality. Competitions such as the NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, London International Olive Oil Competition, Berlin Global Olive Oil Awards, Japan Olive Oil Prize, and Amsterdam International Olive Oil Competition evaluate extra virgin olive oil based on fruitiness, balance, bitterness, pungency, and any sensory defects.
An award does not guarantee that an oil will suit every taste or dish. However, it is a useful signal: the oil has been judged by experienced tasters and stood out positively among a large international field of participants. Especially with extra virgin olive oil, where quality is not always immediately apparent from the label, such an award can provide extra reassurance.
At The Olive Label, you will find several award-winning extra virgin olive oils. Some oils have won awards at the NYIOOC, others at international competitions in London, Berlin, Japan, and Amsterdam, among others. We always mention awards with the respective oil, so it remains clear which producer, olive variety, harvest, or product line has been distinguished.
Examples include Cultũra and Dentri Blend, two Greek extra virgin olive oils that won a Gold Award at the NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition. We also sell other internationally awarded oils, such as Oilalà and Caixeiro.
Colour of olive oil
The colour varies from green to golden yellow and is mainly related to harvest time and pigments. Early harvest often yields greener oil with "green" aromas; later harvest gives a yellower profile with riper notes.
Colour plays no role in official assessments; therefore, panels taste in blue glasses.
Recognising the best olive oil
If you can taste it
First, smell it. Does the oil smell musty or rancid? Then it's not good. A good EVOO smells fresh and fruity and, when tasted, offers bitterness and often a peppery tickle in the throat.
If you cannot taste it
- Packaging: dark glass or bag-in-box
- Label: clear mention of “extra virgin” and origin
- Price: extremely cheap is almost never top quality
Reading the label
The label of extra virgin olive oil must state: “extra virgin olive oil, obtained directly from olives and solely by mechanical means.”
Be critical of terms like classico, mild, gentle, blend, light – these are marketing words without fixed meaning.
Harvest date & harvest year
A premium extra virgin olive oil often states the harvest year. This is only allowed if the oil comes entirely from a single harvest year. If the harvest year is missing, the oil is usually a blend of several years.
The price of olive oil
Half a litre of real extra virgin olive oil cannot possibly cost €6–7. Production costs alone in the country of origin are often higher.
Extremely cheap olive oil is almost always a compromise: blends, older oil, refined components, or mass production.
Cold pressed & first pressing
“Cold pressed” means that processing takes place below 27°C and is done exclusively by mechanical means.
“First pressing” historically refers to the first oil released. Oil from a second pressing can, by definition, never be extra virgin.
Frying & roasting
Yes: extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is perfectly fine and safe for frying and roasting. Smoke point alone is not a good measure; oxidative stability (fatty acid profile + antioxidants) is more relevant.
Thanks to its fatty acid profile and natural antioxidants, EVOO is actually stable at normal cooking and frying temperatures.
Frequently asked questions
Is extra virgin olive oil safe for frying?
Yes. EVOO is stable at normal cooking and frying temperatures.
Why is cheap olive oil usually not a good choice?
Because real EVOO has production costs that are incompatible with extremely low prices.
Is unfiltered olive oil better?
Not necessarily. Unfiltered oil is fresh and intense, but has a shorter shelf life.
This page is part of The Olive Label's knowledge centre and is updated regularly.