Extra virgin

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

We always have "Extra Virgin" olive oil at home.

Seems such a stupid phrase to me. It can't really mean anything.

But I'm sure someone knows why they call it that.

MG

[Chas]

http://www.oliveoilsource.com/definitions.htm

[andybleaden]

I always thought it would would be the type of person who pressed the olives

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Thanks Chas. Still seems a silly phrase to me to signify something that simply has less acid than Virgin Olive Oil or Ordinary Virgin Olive Oil. Why don't they call it all Virgin Olive Oil and specifiy the acid level - they do something similar with Manuka honey.

MG

[Jazzmoose]

I thought they just meant nobody fucked with it...

[Van Basten II]

I thought they just meant nobody fucked with it...

[RDK]

I can't think of any jokes that don't cross some obvious line.

[JSngry]

Actually, if I understand the terminology right, it's a very appropriate term(s), since it refers to the number of pressings used to extract the oil. "Extra Virgin" & "Virgin" are the oil from the first pressing, "Extra Virgin" having the lowest acidity, as noted, (perhaps it is the "first of the first"?).

Anything after the first pressing is not considered "Virgin", which makes sense, really.

http://web.foodnetwork.com/food/web/encycl...70,4171,00.html

[Bright Moments]

Actually, if I understand the terminology right, it's a very appropriate term(s), since it refers to the number of pressings used to extract the oil. "Extra Virgin" & "Virgin" are the oil from the first pressing, "Extra Virgin" having the lowest acidity, as noted, (perhaps it is the "first of the first"?).

Anything after the first pressing is not considered "Virgin", which makes sense, really.

http://web.foodnetwork.com/food/web/encycl...70,4171,00.html

not just the first press but the first "cold" press - whatever that means!

[Shrdlu]

Extra virgin, very pregnant, über gay, ......

I don't like extra virgin olive oil. The flavor is too strong and it interferes with the taste of whatever you are adding it to. And the green color is a turnoff too. Give me the non virgin (experienced?) yellow oil every time.

[catesta]

Actually, if I understand the terminology right, it's a very appropriate term(s), since it refers to the number of pressings used to extract the oil. "Extra Virgin" & "Virgin" are the oil from the first pressing, "Extra Virgin" having the lowest acidity, as noted, (perhaps it is the "first of the first"?).

Anything after the first pressing is not considered "Virgin", which makes sense, really.

http://web.foodnetwork.com/food/web/encycl...70,4171,00.html

not just the first press but the first "cold" press - whatever that means!

It means no heat was used, which means less oil is extracted, but it is the purest.

[catesta]

Extra virgin, very pregnant, über gay, ......

I don't like extra virgin olive oil. The flavor is too strong and it interferes with the taste of whatever you are adding it to. And the green color is a turnoff too. Give me the non virgin (experienced?) yellow oil every time.

Thems be the dregs.

[Chuck Nessa]

I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER! and EXTRA VIRGIN!

Life is good.

[AllenLowe]

"I thought they just meant nobody fucked with it."

well, getting your wiener INTO the bottle is easy...

[Jazzmoose]

I don't like extra virgin olive oil. The flavor is too strong and it interferes with the taste of whatever you are adding it to. And the green color is a turnoff too. Give me the non virgin (experienced?) yellow oil every time.

I can relate to a degree. For salad dressing, pizza, and a lot of other things, I use the extra virgin. But if I'm frying something up, screw olives; I'm grabbing the peanut oil.

Then there's sesame oil, which can do all sorts of things to food...

[mikeweil]

I don't like extra virgin olive oil. The flavor is too strong and it interferes with the taste of whatever you are adding it to. And the green color is a turnoff too. Give me the non virgin (experienced?) yellow oil every time.

It may taste strong and slightly hot but this vanishes as soon as it mixed with other ingredients - the strong taste comes from the highly reactive components. The color depends on the amount of chlorophyll - the green ones are the healthier brands.

Maybe you just got the wrong brand - there are hundreds created to the same high standards like good wine, and as with wine the cheap can taste fine, but will rather not. Don't expect to find a high quality extra virgin olive oil for less than $ 25.00 / Litre. There are plenty of fakes on the market - the quantity of bottles labelled extra virgin is much higher than can be harvested due to the high standards.

There are some that are delicious, almost sweet and so fruity that you can use them for fruit salad, like Ravida from Sicily - try it if you can find it!

Edited August 22, 2008 by mikeweil