Did Popeye Know That His Olive Oil Was Fake?

FACT: 70% of olive oils in supermarkets are as fake as a three-dollar bill.

Uncover which ones are worth your hard-earned cash.

Many historians think olive oil made its grand debut in the Mediterranean basin or the Middle East. Picture it as an Italian opera star, and just like many of us, it’s probably chilling in your pantry. Olive oil is the Beyoncé of ingredients—ideal for tomato sauces, salad dressings, marinades, bread dipping, and more. But did you know it’s been a cultural superstar for over a thousand years?

Way back when, olive oil was the original lamp lighter before electricity stole the show. But it wasn’t long before people realized it was also the secret ingredient for turning bland food into a culinary masterpiece and doubling as a miracle potion in medicine. This liquid gold slipped its way into everything from food and ointments to religious shindigs. In ancient Greece, it was the ultimate MVP, representing victory, peace, wisdom, and health—basically the ancient version of a multi-tool! The Romans were just as obsessed, growing olives like it was going out of style and spreading the oily goodness across their empire, with Italy, Spain, and other regions joining the olive oil fan club.

By the 16th century, Europeans figured the New World could use a splash of olive oil pizzazz. Fast forward to today, and EVOO is strutting its stuff in medical studies, wearing the crown as the reigning champ of healthy dietary fats.

Olive oil might cost more than your typical cooking oils, but do you know why, or are you just snatching up the cheapest bottle like you're at a bargain bonanza?

Here are some slick tips:

1. Grab that olive oil in a dark green bottle—it's like giving it sunglasses to protect its fabulousness from the harsh paparazzi lights!

2. Olive oils get their report cards based on how acidic they are and whether they were made with a little heat or some chemical wizardry.

3. Grab just enough olive oil to last you three months—unless you're into the whole rancid oil experience, which, let's face it, nobody is!

4. Keep it chill, like your favorite bottle of bubbly—heat is its arch-nemesis!

So, which olive oil is the crème de la crème?

Fresher is better.

Olives get the VIP treatment from October to March, when they're picked and squished. These little guys are at their prime in the first year, so when you're on the prowl for fancy oil, make sure to sniff out a harvest date. Avoid oils that can't remember their own birthday!

Avoid the sneaky bottling date ambush! Those olive oil wizards might just let their olives chill out for a year or more before they hit the bottle. Can't find a harvest date? No worries, just peek at the best before date—it's typically two years after the olives' grand debut.

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

This oil is so chill it has less than 1% acidity and avoids the hot mess and chemical drama.

Virgin Olive Oil

This oil's got a bit more zing, thanks to olives that decided to take a leap off the tree all on their own—no heat or chemicals involved in their daring dive!

Pure Olive Oil

This oil gets the spa treatment with a solvent and a hot sauna session, which unfortunately sends the nutrients packing!

Light Olive Oil – This marketing trick wants you to believe it’s lighter in calories than regular olive oil. What a whopper! There’s no calorie difference at all. It’s just had its taste and color sent on vacation. Save your money and your taste buds!

Cold-Pressed Olive Oil - (Olive your money should go here!)

This oil is like a superhero made without the villainous heat or chemicals. Heat is the nemesis that zaps vitamins, and we need those little guys for nutrition! So, we go all secret agent with cold extraction, crushing olives into a paste and using a mechanical press or centrifuge to separate the oil from the pulp—it's like a James Bond mission for your taste buds!

Final Note: Brace yourselves! A study reveals that 70% of supermarket olive oils are undercover agents! These slippery impostors are the most counterfeited products on the shelves. Even countries like Italy and Spain are in on the act, concocting faux olive oils blended with other sneaky oils like safflower, peanut, and sunflower. Who knew olive oil had such an identity crisis?

The following are the only olive oils verified as genuine:

Kirkland Organic (available at Costco)

California Olive Ranch

Corto Olive

Ottavio

Omaggio

Bariani Olive Oil

Lucini

Lucero

Olea Estates

McEvoy Ranch Organic

Cobram Estate

For recipes and schedules of my cooking classes go to www.theitaliandiva.com