Did you know that in ancient Greece and Rome, olive oil was used for their food preps too? Since olives have been grown and available for use right from the 8th millennium BC, they ended up being one of the first cooking mediums for most. The best olive oil in India is easily available in quite a lot of variety as well.
Yes, the main usage of olive oil is for cooking and salad preparations, but olive oil has also been used for healing and beauty sectors too.
Before knowing the varieties of the best olive oil in India, it is important to know how they are classified in the first place. It is the acid content of olive oil that helps in its classification also measured as free oleic acid. From virgin olive oil India produces which contains 1% free oleic acid and virgin olive oil which contains 2%, to ordinary extra light olive oil which contains 3.3% the variety and classification are quite helpful.
So once the classification is done, how are they used? Read on to know!
Types of Olive Oil
It is important to use the right type of olive oil to derive the most benefits from it. If we come down to counting the types then we can safely say that there are five primary grades of olive oil. These include extra virgin oil, virgin oil, refined olive oil or extra light olive oil, pure olive oil and olive pomace oil.
Each of the Leonardo olive oils, depending on their quality, have different smoking points. The oil with the lowest smoking point will always be the healthiest. This, however, does make it less suitable for cooking, something that olive oil with a higher smoking point is adept at doing.
- EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
Since it is on top, you might already have guessed that it happens to be the healthiest of the lot. Extra virgin olive oil is derived via cold processing, preventing it from losing its nutrient composition. This, in turn, results in it having a low acid content, lower than even that of virgin oil.
2. VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
An unrefined form of olive oil, virgin olive oil is extracted using the cold-pressing technique. Though with a slightly higher acidic level of 1 to 4 per cent, it is the second-best kind of olive oil that you can find on the market. It also has better temperature resistance when compared to extra virgin olive oil, making it quite suitable for low-heat cooking. Apart from this it also makes a great addition to salads and dressings.
3. PURE OLIVE OIL
Created by mixing either extra virgin or virgin oil with refined olive oil, pure olive oil is the third on the list. Pure olive oil is rich in Vitamin E and can easily be used in cooking as well as a beauty accessory like more massages and whatnot.
4. OLIVE POMACE OIL
When it comes to the quality of the oils, olive pomace oil for cooking could very be considered not as healthy compared to others on the list. Taken out from the residues after the olive fruit’s pressing is completed, the remaining oil that is extracted ends up being mixed with high-quality oils to better the quality of the oil extracted from the pomace. The great thing is that olive pomace oil makes for the best cooking oil you can use.
Health Benefits of Olive Oil
● Promotes Heart Health
● Reduces the Risk of Cancer
● Relieves Pain and Inflammation
● Boosts Bone Health
● Prevents Stroke
● Balances Blood Sugar and Prevents Diabetes
The Bottom Line:
These are merely some of the most common health benefits of consuming olive oil on a regular basis. However, there is so much more to olive oil than just these benefits. From using it in the kitchen to using it for beauty purposes, the versatility of olive oil will know no bounds. Thus, if you are someone who is looking to use olive oil on a daily basis, knowing which kind suits what purpose is important.