Extra Virgin Eh

I was watching Feast Bazaar on Discovery Travel and Living on Sunday - it was an episode on Morocco and they use a lot of olive oil. As the mule was driving the mill and the olives were being ground into a pulpish mass, my sister asked what difference there was between extra virgin olive oil and any other kind. Well then, let me enlighten by copying some stuff from Wikipedia:
- "Extra-virgin olive oil" comes from the first pressing of the olives, contains no more than 0.8% acidity, and is judged to have a superior taste. There can be no refined oil in extra-virgin olive oil.
- "Virgin olive oil" has an acidity less than 2%, and judged to have a good taste. There can be no refined oil in virgin olive oil.
- Oils labeled as "Pure olive oil" or Olive oil are usually a blend of refined olive oil and one of the above two categories of virgin olive oil.
- "Olive oil" is a blend of virgin oil and refined oil, containing no more than 1.5% acidity. It commonly lacks a strong flavor.

It turns out that olive oil helps the heart and keeps skin looking good, from the inside. That's why Mediterranean women look so good and the men live long to run the mafia. One spoonful each morning will do you good.

I read a book on travels and life in Israel and there was one bit where the owner of a oiive farm introduced the writer to a secret vat of olive oil. Apparently it was the best, valued like gold. They took a shot of it.

Last year, SM Goh did a tour of Tunisia and apparently we're due for an influx of the good stuff here. I hope that happens soon, because a litre of the cheapest olive oil in NTUC costs about bloody $12.

Maybe we need Popeye to do the job.