Extra virgin vs virgin olive oil: what's the difference
Both are olive juice obtained only by mechanical means, with no chemicals and no refining. The difference lies in the quality of the fruit and the freshness, which a laboratory and a tasting panel check.
| 🏷️ Extra virgin olive oil | 🏷️ Virgin olive oil | |
|---|---|---|
| How it is obtained | Mechanically only, without heat that alters the oil | The same: mechanically only |
| Acidity | Up to 0.8 % | Up to 2.0 % |
| Tasting | No defects at all, fruitiness present | Slight defects allowed, fruitiness present |
| Ethyl esters | Up to 35 mg/kg | No limit set |
| Label statement (EU) | “Superior category olive oil obtained directly from olives and solely by mechanical means” | “Olive oil obtained directly from olives and solely by mechanical means” |
Which to choose
For salads, sauces and bread, where you can taste the oil, choose extra virgin: its acidity is lower and tasters find no defect in it. Virgin may have a slight flaw in flavour, is usually cheaper and works well for cooking where the aroma of the oil is not the point. Both labels have to state the place of origin, which makes them easy to compare.
Sources
Themes
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