What quality does the best olive oil have?

Qualities of the best olive oils

The best olive oils are subjective and rely on personal preference of flavor and taste. However, all best olive oils have something common. The first and foremost commonality is transparency and traceability. They are open about their quality and production related details, such as harvest date, harvest method, origin, variety, extraction procedure, chemical and sensory profile, etc.

To summarize, the best olive oils are an overall result of two factors-

1. Healthy and fresh fruits of high quality, usually harvested early when the fruits are still green and transported to the mill with minimal transportation and storage time, are processed. Fruits in contact with the ground/soil are avoided.

2. Excellent extraction procedure following the best practices

A great olive oil does not have other vegetable oils or olive oils of inferior quality/ grade blended with it.

An olive oil of great quality should have:

• Very low acidity that represents freshness, usually around 0.1- 0.2%
• Low peroxide value that shows a low degree of oxidation, usually below 10 meq
• Excellent sensory profile with fruity aroma, and balanced bitterness and spicy flavors
• Complete absence of negative sensory traits, such as musty, earthy, fusty, rancid, etc.
• High in antioxidants, such as vitamin E and polyphenols
• Not contaminated with any microbiologically or chemically hazardous agents

The best olive oils are often acknowledged by international olive oil recognition bodies, such as Flos Olei. For instance, KORAJE comes from the estate that has been recognized year after year by Flos Olei with very high ranking 98/100.