Olive oils can prove a slick option

In researching new food trends, I have noticed a lot of references to olive oil, virgin olive oil and extra virgin olive oil. How are these different from vegetable oil?

Vegetable oil is produced by a highly industrial process. The raw material is crushed, heated, pressed, neutralised, bleached and deodorised using chemical solvents, phosphates and alkalis. Apart from deep-fat frying, the resulting oil has little culinary value, but olive oil has a natural richness which is far more pleasant.

The classifications relate to the process used. Pure olive oil uses a process similar to that outlined above, with the addition of some virgin oil to enhance flavour.

Virgin oil is extracted by cold pressing. The same process has been used for thousands of years - the olive is pressed, which extracts about one-sixth of the oil, but the resulting oil retains the flavour of the variety of olive it was made from.

I suggest you buy small quantities of different virgin oils and try them out. They will provide varying characteristics which are right for different dishes.