Spanish extra virgin olive oil - about olive oil from Spain

Spanish extra virgin olive oil Use Spanish extra virgin olive oil for a salad if you want an oil that has a particular flavour - one that will enhance the qualities of the dish. Spanish extra virgin olive oil is described as ‘appley’ with a distinctive almond flavour. Composition of Spanish olive oil Olive oil is extracted from the fruit of the olive-tree (Olea Europea). Composition of this fruit in its recollection is variable, depending of the olive variety, soil, climate and the cultivation.

Olives and olive oil

What's virgin olive oil?
Both the International Oil Council and the EU regulation define Virgin Olive Oil anything with that name, has to be 100% a product of olives( no additives, colorants, flavorings, or any other foreign matter allowed). Obtained with the approved mechanical or other process , a process that does not alter its natural state.

Extra virgin olive oil
Obtained from high quality olives this oil has a strong aroma of the fruit, and cannot surpass 1% acidity.

Virgin olive oil
It is comercialized in Spain under the name of "fino", it cannot surpass 2% acidity.

Normal virgin olive oil
It's commonly used to produce refined oils, it does not surpass 3.3% acidity.

Refined olive oil
It Oil that is "refined" because of its non appropriate "virgin" quality.

Harvesting
To obtain a quality oil, its fundamental to harvest the olives in the optimal moment of maturation, when most of olives are changing the colour (golden red), and there are scarcely green olives and other ones are entirely mature.

The ideal way to harvest is the "ordeño" (pulling the olive branches to extract the olives), handmade or with a save hook. More important is not to damage the olive and transport it asap to the oilmill to prevent the damage of the fruit.