Long live with Olive Oil !

It’s a gift of God.

Yes, we are speaking of the hot Mediterranean favorite; olive oil. Loaded with vitamins & antioxidants, it makes your heart healthy and regulates the sugar levels in your body.

Look around the aisles of any grocery store and you will be taken aback by the varieties of olive oil on display; pure, extra virgin, cold pressed. If you are wondering, which one to pick and what can it do for you; worry no longer as Mr Rajneesh Bhasin, MD, Borges India Private Limited & the President of the Indian Olive Association shares some interesting tips and tricks to get you started.

Taste, smell, even head to a good lab to check olive oil’s authenticity: Putting it through the “Refrigerator Test” and concluding that if it solidifies it’s pure, otherwise it’s not, is a waste of time according to experts. Just like Peanut & Canola oil, most oils are a combination of monounsaturated & polyunsaturated fats.

Don’t go only by the color:  No, green does not indicate high a high quality olive oil. The varieties of olives used,  growing conditions, the country of origin all could end up coloring the oil anywhere from pale yellow to dark green.

Heat up the oil without losing its nutrients:  It’s smoke point may be higher vis-à-vis traditional oils but you can heat it up and still enjoy it’s anti inflammatory and anti oxidant properties; you certainly don’t need to use it only ‘raw’.

ALL olive oils are healthy:  Whether it’s Extra Virgin Olive oil or pure & extra light olive oil, all are loaded with the goodness of MUFA (mono unsaturated Fatty Acids), antioxidants and poly phenol.

Use it when it’s fresh: No it doesn’t get better with age like wine. Although you can use it upto 2 years from harvest, its best to use up the oil within 4-6 weeks of opening the bottle.

Any olive oil means calories:  Lite or extra lite indicate only the lighter color or aroma and definitely not the amount of calories present. In fact, even though olive oil is healthy, it must be used in moderation since it’s loaded with calories. One tablespoon of olive oil contains about 124 calories and 14 grams of fat (6.7 gms monosaturated & 4.6 gms polyunsaturated fats).

You CAN cook, fry, sauté olive oil:  Here’s a brief intro about the various grades of olive oil.

Extra Virgin Olive oil : Has a strong flavor of olives, a low smoking point, is made by cold pressing olives

Pure olive oil:  made by refining olive oil, high smoking point, has flavor of olives, use it to cook pizzas, pastas, sauté vegetables etc.

Extra Light:  Is neutral in taste, no flavor of olives, can be used for every day cooking/ frying.

Pomace:  This last extract made from residue of olives, can also be used in Indian cooking.

Use it on your hair, skin, face & nails!  Yes, you heard it right. The anti oxidants present in olive oil can prevent skin aging, occurrence of wrinkles & fine lines; Vitamins E & A can hydrate skin.