Olive oil -- the power of suggestion

[Pedaling Fool]

On every hike I've been on I've gotten olive oil, because I've always heard that it is the best. I've also got tons of the stuff here at home. However, I recently (accidently) had some sunflower oil and it was great, much better than my olive oil.

Which got me thinking that maybe olive oil may not be the best tasting oil out there, despite everyone saying, "You got to use olive oil".

Anyone have a favorite oil, other than olive oil? Looking for a change, but first I got to use up all this crap


BTW, The Tour of California bike race is NOW happening on the Versus channel

[safn1949]

Give it to a food bank if the bottles are sealed.I haven't tried pure sunflower oil,I will ask the better half about it.

Or...rub it on your dog to make his hair shine,or your hair if you have any....I don't.

[sarbar]

Sunflower and Canola definitely don't have the "flavor" of olive oil - which for some is better as it doesn't over power the food, those also heat better.

Save the olive oil for home use - in dressings and on veggies.

[Miner]

People push Olive Oil because its healthy compared to most oils and actually has beneficial effects for your body. Not all oils or fats are equal when it comes to healthy living.

[Doctari]

Sesame oil for flavor for me, but I leave it at home, don't know why. I think it's mind set, thanks for the post, I will change my oil now! Olive oil is a close 2nd, so it's not a bad choice for me, I'm just having a "DOH!" moment.

[Egads]

Olive oil is like nuts; best in moderation

[Mountain Wildman]

I've heard Grape Seed oil is pretty good.

[grayfox]

There are so many different flavors of olive oil. It is a lot like wine in that respect. Read the labels to get an idea what each is best for. You can 'fry' with some but others will burn. Basically, light color=light taste and better for many uses. Dark color=heavy flavor and may be best for dipping bread along with balsamic vinegar, another wine-like product as flavor goes. An acquired taste, for sure. I like it and think it is worth the mess it usually makes.

I also like sesame oil.

If you are keeping a lot of half used olive oil bottles, it tends to go off quite quickly, then it is time to learn the simple art of soapmaking. Olive oil makes the best soap. If you know a soap maker, give it to them in exchange for a few bars of soap.

[CLeamon]

I think the push for Olive Oil is primarily for its healthy properties...it's is very low in saturated fats, and very high in monounsaturted fats. It has loads of antioxidants. Even better for hiker-health, it stimulates the secretion of bile and pancreatic hormones, which increase the efficiency of the digestive system. All of these factors combine to help you get the most from your fat.
All that aside, I have to confess that I usually find the flavor of olive oil to distract from what I'm eating (especially in pancakes!!), which is where a good neutral oil (like safflower or sunflower) comes into play.
Personally, I tend to blend oils; a very light olive oil with some sunflower in about equal parts.

[Mags]

Which got me thinking that maybe olive oil may not be the best tasting oil out there, despite everyone saying, "You got to use olive oil".

My last name is Magnanti. Every Sunday, Grandma would make something yummy that had, at its base, the holy trinity of garlic, onions and olive oil.

EVOO all the way... (Never use 'light' olive oil..its crap. Except for baking, I do not use an other type of oil. I will use butter on occasion, though. )

[Tilly]

Coconut oil makes everything delicious but maybe is not good for hiking as it is solid under 70 or so degrees...maybe it could be used like peanut butter in cooler weather

[Dogwood]

If you are just defining the "BEST" oil as in best for flavor than you should try Macadamia Nut, Grapeseed, Walnut, Coconut, Sesame, and definitely various brands and types of Olive Oil grown in various regions(mainly Spain, Greece, and Italy) and processed in various ways. The least processed olive oil, which is EVOO, tends to be generally regarded as the best quality in Italy because it is first or singularly pressed(milled).

Extra Virgin Olive Oil(EVOO) tastes differently than Reg. Olive Oil(can be a blend of olive oils or just one type of olive oil or from olives grown in one field or olives grown in one particular area of one olive growing orchard) or Light(refers to color) Olive Oil. Different oils, even if we just look at olive oils and their flavoring, have different ways of adding flavor to food based on how the food is prepared. Some olive oils are bestwhen used to add flavor to cooked foods. Some olive oils are best at adding flavor in non-cooked foods. Different olive oils can have very different flavors just as different coffees can have very different flavors. For example, a dark Spanish olive oil grown and processed in the northern mountains of Spain is going to have a distinctly different flavor than an EVOO grown near the sea at Naples Italy.

I could go on but I'll stop. I've had many Greek and Italian(Sicilian) friends, some in the food service industry(chefs, restaurant owners, etc), that I've had to listen to give many talks about olive oil and why their alive oil was the "BEST!"

[GGS2]

I use olive oil in just about everything, including pancakes. The trick is simply to know what kind of oil to buy. As Mags says, EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) is best, and go for a good brand of Italian. There is a lot of other stuff with stronger flavours that I wouldn't use for anything but regional cuisine from the locale of the oil, esp. spanish green olive oil. One time a year or so ago, my local supermarket had a special on a good brand of EVOO (Bertoli). I bought as many bottles as I could carry, and I'm still using it. It does not go off if the bottle is unopened, and even after it is opened, you can store it unrefrigerated for a long time (EVOO only: lesser grades may have water and various other organic stuff in it, which may go off.)

As for other oils: ghee, or butter is you prefer. Can't beat the taste. All the others are good for specific tastes and uses, mostly in salads. Some have specific health properties, like grape seed or hemp oil. Mostly those ones don't keep very well. The heavy cooking oils are not as good for you as EVOO, but there are a few that are favored by some. EYOO (Eat your own oil!)

[Chowder]

I like sesame oil as an alternative. Something else you could try would be to infuse your EVOO with other flavors. Set some rosemary or sage leaves in it for a few weeks and it takes on some of the herby flavor. you could also do things like chillies or sundried tomatoes. I think this really adds more flavor and still lets you use a 'healthier' oil.

[Appalachian Tater]

First press or extra virgin olive oil has a stronger flavor than "light" olive oil so if you don't like the strong flavor try the lighter version. Real chefs (not television chefs) don't use the first press for frying or other cooking uses, just for flavoring and making salad dressing. Not only does it have too much flavor, it is too expensive and has a low smoke point.

For making mayonnaise I use grapeseed oil and for other salad dressings, walnut oil is nice. Mayonnaise made with the first press olive oil has a really bad flavor to me.

Peanut oil is great for cooking Chinese or any kind of frying and sesame oil is nice to use as a flavoring but not for actual cooking.

[Appalachian Tater]

Funny, I was just reading the May 27 issue of Time Out NY and on page 28 there is an article where Mario Batali tells how to stock the "Essential Italian Pantry" and make it into a meal and he says "I use a lighter oil to cook with, but prefer intensely flavored ones to finish [a dish], because I really appreciate that powerful olive taste."

I guess he is a real chef as well as a TV chef!

[Bronk]

As others have noted, many people prefer olive oil for its health benefits...something most people probably aren't aware of is the difference in how olive oil is extracted versus other oils.

As some noted, olive oil is pressed out of the olives.

Not so with corn and other vegetable oils and oils derived from seeds. They'd only get about 10% of the oil pressing it. So they use a chemical process to break down the corn or seed and release the oil...usually they use benzene to release the other 90% of the oil.

They say the benzene boils off...

[eric j]

extra virgin coconut oil (evco) hands down the best! extremely healthy and delicious saturated fat. Got a bad rap from our Gov't and medical comunities years ago, but I think we all know what a...holes they are!

[Mags]

I guess he is a real chef as well as a TV chef!

My Grandma was neither on TV or was paid to cook.

She must have been doing something wrong...

Then again, she probably did not have 5 different oils to choose from from the corner grocery... And HER mother did not even have a corner grocery.

I still stand by the EVOO statement.

Several websites more or less have this statement:

""Light" olive oil is a marketing concept and not a classification of olive oil grades. It is completely unregulated by any certification organizations and therefore has no real precedent to what its content should be. Sometimes, the olive oil is cut with other vegetable oils.

I doubt any real cook uses 'light' olive oil. LIGHTER tasting (like wine, different brands of olive oil have different tastes)

No real cook would use synthetic Olive oil... celebrity, 'real' or in my Grandmother's kitchen!

(I should also add that I don't deep fry...only saute' then simmer or bake/roast. If I deep fried, probably use a real oil of some sort..but then again, deep frying ain't exactly healthy! )

[Connie]

My lighter tasting oil is Sunflower oil. I seldom see it on the store shelves.

I thought grapeseed oil has health problems associated with it. I had purchased some, sold as for putting on the grill itself. I haven't used it.

I have heard a light "fritter" type batter is okay, for frying, because it cooks without absorbing a lot of oil. I understand less oil is involved than for pancakes. If I feel deprived that I don't have fried food, fritters are really an easy fried-food trail food treat. I like banana fritters.

I have fried fish, Icelandic cod. I use Panther brand 100% pure peanut oil I purchase in San Francisco "Chinatown". It does not "smoke" or breakdown at 450 F. Icelandic cod already has the right oil content. Temperature and the frying oil has everything to do with it. I do not use a heavy batter.

I will not use food oils that have been chemically washed and chemically clarified, as are many brand name oils sold.

I have experienced "olive oil tasting" at the farmer's market in Point Reyes Station, CA, in West Marin. They also have heritage tomato tastings, and like that.

There really is a great deal of difference in the flavor of different olive oil.

I like Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I would say: find one you like. But look for food quality.