To choose a good bottle of olive oil, we can identify it by observing the color and taste of the oil, but how to choose a bottle of olive oil when the bottle is not opened? Of course, you can start with the label on the olive oil bottle. Basically, the olive oil bottle will reveal a lot of information.
Schematic／
Like a good bottle of red wine, the olive farmer or the owner of the estate will also be proud of a good bottle of olive oil. He certainly hopes that the buyer will see the olive oil made with his heart. When the eyes will light up, and at a glance, you can understand how beautiful the fragrance of this bottle of olive oil is to be presented. The clearer the label on the olive oil bottle, the more olive oil secrets will be revealed, but these secrets are actually the integrity and intentions of the farmer and the owner of the manor, so it is very important to understand the label on the olive oil bottle.
Simply put, when we get a bottle of olive oil, we first look at it: Is it cold-pressed virgin olive oil? Which country is the country of origin? Let's see if it's the most popular single-variety or mixed-variety olive oil today? Is there an organic certification from the country of origin? And the certification mark of origin production? Don't know how to see it? It's okay, we'll show you a bottle of olive oil.
The grading system of each country is different, but generally the regulations of the Olive Oil Association are followed. Let's not get too complicated. Most of the olive oil sold in Taiwan is divided into two grades.
This isThe most recommended level, especially if you look at the English label, will be more accurate. Indicates that the first pressed olives are used, and the low temperature is maintained below 26 degrees throughout the production process, and
This grade is refined olive oil, which refers to the mildew, overripe and other secondary olives, which are chemically removed to remove musty, sour and other bad tastes, and then add 10% to 20% cold-pressed virgin olives Oil made from oil. Although it can only be bottled and sold after passing the inspection, there is basically no fragrance.
Let's see if it is produced in the country of origin. The easiest way to distinguish it is the "international barcode" marked on the bottle, because the first three codes of the international barcode are the "country code", which cannot be changed. You can recognize at a glance whether the life experience of this bottle of olive oil is really as it is on the bottle. said country.
Take the country codes of the three major oil-producing countries as an example, Italy is 800-839, Spain is 840-849, and Greece's country code is romantic 520 (by the way, Taiwan The international code is 471).
Next comes the variety, with single-variety olive oils especially popular in recent years. Special varieties have special aromas, and some have higher olive polyphenol values.
If you see the name of a single variety marked on the olive oil bottle, it also represents the pride of a manor owner, try it out, you can not only directly choose the taste you like, but also choose better quality olives Oil.
Recognizing the certification of origin and the marks of organic agricultural products in various countries is also a way to identify quality, such as the red and blue food quality marks certified by the European Union. The following introduces several common marks, which may have different abbreviations in different countries.
Products marked with the PDO mark indicate that the production (including the source of raw materials), processing and preparation are all carried out in the designated area, and the technology approved by the local producer is used. It belongs to the highest level of origin certification. In Italy and Spain, the abbreviation is DOP, and in France, it is AOP.
Indicates that in the process of production, processing and preparation, at least one of them needs to be carried out in the designated area. Although not as strict as PDO, it is still a high-quality certification. In Italy, Spain, and France, the abbreviation is IGP.
It must be a product with a long history and manufactured using traditional, intergenerational ingredients and production techniques to differentiate it from similar imitation products on the market. The abbreviation in Italy is STG, in Spain it is ETG.
Although tin cans, plastic bottles, and transparent glass bottles do not mean that olive oil itself is not good, it is full of 3 elements that easily make olive oil go bad-light, oxygen, and moisture.
No matter whether it is sunlight or light, it is easy to cause the oxidative deterioration of olive oil, so choose a dark-colored bottle that avoids light; a narrow-mouth glass bottle with poor air permeability can reduce the contact area between the bottle mouth and the air and delay the oxidative deterioration.Time; moisture will cause the oil to hydrolyze, accelerate the speed of oxidation and deterioration.
In fact, you can also buy olive oil of very good quality in supermarkets, but you get what you pay for. If you see that kind of overly cheap product, it is likely to be a substandard or inferior oil. If you haven't developed the ability to distinguish oil products, you can usually pick out products with good quality and flavor at this price.
The climate in Taiwan is hot and humid. Once the olive oil is opened, it is recommended that you use it up within half a year, so as to maintain a stable and good quality. Because when there is less and less olive oil, there is more space in the bottle, which means that there is more air, and the easier it is to oxidize.
Also, never put olive oil in the refrigerator. After buying a good bottle of olive oil, most people choose to store it in the refrigerator because of the high price or because they want to keep it longer. But in this way, not just olive oil, but most oils as well, it is recommended to keep it at home in a cool, dry, dark cabinet away from heat and light.
◎ This article is excerpted from / "High Metabolism Mediterranean Cuisine" by Xie Changsheng ◎ Image source / Taiwan Guangsha Audio Book Co., Ltd. ‧ Dazhi Image / courtesy of shutterstock
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