Common Confusion About Different Types of Olive Oil

Have you ever stopped to think about your choice when shopping for a bottle of olive oil? Being confused about which varieties of olive oil to buy for your specific needs or taste preferences is a common experience. So, if you’re still confused about what different types of olive oil are, here’s what you need to know to ensure you’re buying the right type. 

What Olive Oil Varieties Actually Mean 

Varieties usually refer to the olive cultivars. Most olive oil production came from the Mediterranean region, but locations have been expanding over the years.  

However, like wine, several cultivars are more commonly produced than others. Most of the olive oil exported to the US came from Spain, so you might find their specific varieties of olive oil more easily. 

How Varieties of Olive Oil Influence Flavors and Aroma 

Depending on the variety and harvest timing, each cultivar produced different tastes and aromas. Here are some of the most popular varieties of olive oil around the world.  

Arbequina 

Arbequina is one of the most planted varieties in the world. Compared to the other varieties, arbequina has a softer flavor with fewer polyphenols. It’s gentle and fruity, often giving banana and almond notes. It’s less bitter, so it’s a perfect oil to use for aiolis and dressings.  

Picual 

Picual is a variety that’s commonly cultivated, mostly in Spain. Picual has a bolder taste with peppery and green notes. It’s also relatively bitter. Picual is best for cooking robust dishes, such as sauteing, grilling, roasting, or drizzled on steak.  

Hojiblanca 

Hojiblanca is a variety usually cultivated alongside picual, as it can be a great pollinator. The taste offers medium intensity with peppery lift and green almond notes. Hojiblanca is a great variation to choose for dipping, sauces, or eating with vegetables.  

Cornicabra 

Cornicabra is another of the most widely produced varieties in Spain. Despite its intense, bitter flavor, its fruity notes, especially apple, make it one of the most aromatic varieties. Its aroma and flavor make it perfect as a salad dressing and for enhancing stews, thanks to its robust character. 

Picudo 

From protected designation of origin in the southern Spain, the Picuda variety is characterized by a green fruity flavor with notes of apple and olive leaf, which shine the most raw and used to enhance fish and all kinds of seafood. 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) 

Extra virgin olive oil is the purest form of olive oil. It’s processed through cold pressing without any use of chemicals or excessive heat. That way, the result is a pure taste that gives the most natural olive taste.  

It has remarkably low free fatty acids under 0.8% with a robust and fruity flavor. It’s also known to be rich in healthy fats, vitamins, and antioxidants. Many use it as a salad dressing, bread dips, or added into marinades and sauces, but you can also  use extra virgin olive oil for cooking or baking. 

Virgin Olive Oil (VOO) 

Virgin olive oil is obtained similarly to extra virgin olive oil. However, taste-wise, VOO has a higher level of acidity between 0.8% to 2%. Their aroma is soft and delicate, especially compared to EVOO.  

As virgin olive oil is natural in both flavor and aroma, it’s suitable for various cooking applications. You can use it for low-heat cooking methods like baking, roasting, and sauteing. 

Pure Olive Oil 

Although it’s named pure olive oil, the content itself isn’t entirely pure. This oil is a mixture of refined olive oil and a bit of VOO. Pure olive oil often can’t pass health standards; the regulatory requirements demand a higher-quality oil blend.  

The blending is to ensure the oil is safe to consume and becomes more palatable. So, you typically won’t find the rich flavor or nutrients that virgin olive oil offers, but it’s still healthier than palm oil.  

The more advantageous side of pure olive oil is that it can survive higher heat. You can use it for deep-frying, but it might give an industrial olive oil taste to your fried food.  

Olive Pomace Oil  

Olive oil production extracts mechanical oil, and there’s usually 5 – 8% of oil left on the olive pulp. They’ll then extract this remaining oil to make pomace by using high temperatures and chemical solvents.  

Mild vs Robust