Extra Virgin Olive Oil: From Salads to Fried Foods, a Versatile Essential
Do you think that "extra virgin olive oil is not suitable for cooking with heat"? To state the conclusion upfront, this is incorrect.
The reason is that high-quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil has a high smoke point (the temperature at which, when heated, white smoke begins to appear) of 177 to 288°C.
For example, butter has a smoke point of 110 to 130°C, margarine's smoke point is 140 to 150°C, and lard is 180°C. This means that compared to other oils, Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a stable oil and can withstand high-temperature stir-frying and deep-frying.
In fact, there have always been many deep-fried dishes using Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Mediterranean cuisine (dishes made in countries along the Mediterranean coast such as Italy, Spain, and Greece).
The smoke point varies depending on the quality of the oil.
As the free fatty acid content decreases ("free fatty acids" have a tendency to combine with oxygen in the air, so a higher content is believed to lead to a lower quality of olive oil produced), the antioxidant content ("antioxidants" include polyphenols and vitamin E) increases.
As a result, the smoke point also rises, leading to an improvement in the quality of olive oil.
When olive oil has a high antioxidant content, the amount of harmful chemicals produced during cooking decreases, and the healthy monounsaturated fats (which are resistant to oxidation) from Extra Virgin Olive Oil flow more into the food being prepared. This indicates that it is not only a flavorful oil for cooking and frying but also optimal for health.
Furthermore, according to Brazilian and Spanish researcher Rosa Maria Lamuela-Raventos (Olive Oil Times published 2019.09.05), cooking vegetables with extra virgin olive oil allows the oil to absorb polyphenols also contained within the vegetables, making it more nutritious than boiling.
For example, chemical analysis results for Laconiko's olive oil in the 2019/2020 fiscal year showed a polyphenol content of 430mg per liter of oil. The average polyphenol content reported by the University of California for Extra Virgin Olive Oil is 222 mg.
There are various types of Extra Virgin Olive Oil around the world, but their components change depending on the harvest season, the type and quality of olives, climate change, water quality, and also by year. For this reason, always check the chemical analysis results published annually with your own eyes.
The important point when cooking with Extra Virgin Olive Oil is not to overheat it. The smoke point of high-quality extra virgin olive oil is usually set between 177 and 288°C, so it is highly unlikely that you will exceed the smoke point at normal cooking temperatures.
By all means, try stir-frying and deep-frying with extra virgin olive oil!
【Free fatty acids】···These tend to combine with oxygen in the air, so a higher content is believed to lead to a lower quality of olive oil produced.
【Antioxidants】···Such as polyphenols and vitamin E. Olive oil is rich in antioxidants that remove active oxygen, which can cause illness.
【Monounsaturated fats】···Mainly oleic acid, abundant in olive oil, canola oil, and rapeseed oil. They are suitable for heated cooking due to their resistance to oxidation.
Article:TK Mary