{"id":9000,"date":"2021-02-04T13:13:55","date_gmt":"2021-02-04T12:13:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/almazaraartal.com\/what-characteristics-does-an-olive-oil-need-to-be-extra-virgin\/"},"modified":"2026-10-16T10:19:32","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T08:19:32","slug":"what-characteristics-does-an-olive-oil-need-to-be-extra-virgin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/almazaraartal.com\/en\/what-characteristics-does-an-olive-oil-need-to-be-extra-virgin\/","title":{"rendered":"What characteristics does an olive oil need to be extra virgin?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Extra virgin&#8221; is the highest category of olive oil, but what do those two words really mean? It&#8217;s not just a marketing ploy: an extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) must meet specific requirements regarding production, acidity, and taste. We&#8217;ll explain what characteristics define it and how to recognize a good one.  <\/p>\n<div style=\"background:#f3f5ee;border:1px solid #d7e2c6;border-radius:10px;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 6px;\"><strong style=\"color:#5c7a3a;\">Quick Response<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0;\">Olive oil is classified as <strong>extra virgin<\/strong> when it is obtained <strong>solely by mechanical means<\/strong> (without chemicals), has a <strong>maximum acidity of 0.8\u00b0<\/strong>, and <strong>exhibits no defects<\/strong> in taste or aroma during tasting. It is the highest quality: pure juice from healthy, fresh, and properly processed olives. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>What is extra virgin olive oil?<\/h2>\n<p>Extra virgin olive oil is a <strong>natural olive juice<\/strong>: it is obtained solely through <strong>mechanical processes<\/strong> (grinding and pressing, preferably cold-pressed), without solvents or any chemical treatment. That is why it retains all the flavor, aroma, and health benefits of the olive. It is the staple fat of the Mediterranean diet and, for many chefs, an indispensable ingredient.  <\/p>\n<h2>The characteristics that define extra virgin olive oil<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Only mechanical methods:<\/strong> no chemicals or refining. It is pure olive oil. <\/li>\n<li><strong>Fresh, healthy olives:<\/strong> harvested at the peak of ripeness and processed as soon as possible to prevent spoilage.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Maximum acidity of 0.8\u00b0:<\/strong> this is the legal limit for extra virgin olive oil. The lower the acidity, the better the condition of the fruit.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Zero defects in the tasting:<\/strong> a panel of tasters must confirm that it has no defects in taste or smell. This is the requirement that many overlook and that truly sets extra virgin olive oil apart from the rest. <\/li>\n<li><strong>Cold extraction:<\/strong> Processing at low temperatures preserves the aromas and antioxidants.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Acidity: The Difference Between Extra Virgin, Virgin, and Lampante<\/h2>\n<p>Acidity measures the condition of the oil (it doesn&#8217;t have a &#8220;sharp&#8221; taste in the mouth; it&#8217;s a chemical property). Based on that value and a tasting, olive oil is classified as follows: <\/p>\n<div style=\"overflow-x:auto;margin:16px 0;\">\n<table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:15px;\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background:#8ca96a;color:#fff;\">\n<th style=\"padding:10px;border:1px solid #d7e2c6;text-align:left;\">Category<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:10px;border:1px solid #d7e2c6;text-align:left;\">Acidity<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:10px;border:1px solid #d7e2c6;text-align:left;\">Tasting Defects<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:10px;border:1px solid #d7e2c6;\"><strong>Extra Virgin<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px;border:1px solid #d7e2c6;\">\u2264 0.8\u00b0<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px;border:1px solid #d7e2c6;\">None<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background:#f6f8f1;\">\n<td style=\"padding:10px;border:1px solid #d7e2c6;\"><strong>Virgin<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px;border:1px solid #d7e2c6;\">\u2264 2\u00b0<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px;border:1px solid #d7e2c6;\">Mild<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:10px;border:1px solid #d7e2c6;\"><strong>Lampante<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px;border:1px solid #d7e2c6;\">> 2\u00b0<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px;border:1px solid #d7e2c6;\">Yes (not suitable without refining)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p>Lampante olive oil cannot be consumed as is: it is refined and, when blended with some virgin olive oil, becomes the oil sold simply as &#8220;olive oil.&#8221; That is why <strong>extra virgin<\/strong> olive oil <strong>is the highest category<\/strong>. <\/p>\n<div style=\"background:#eef3e6;border:1px solid #d7e2c6;border-left:4px solid #8ca96a;border-radius:10px;padding:16px 20px;margin:24px 0;text-align:center;\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;\"><strong style=\"color:#5c7a3a;\">\ud83e\uddd2 Genuine extra virgin olive oil<\/strong> \u2014 Harvested on our own farm in Lower Aragon, cold-pressed, and with the entire process monitored at our olive mill.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/almazaraartal.com\/en\/shop\/extra-virgin-olive-oil\/\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#8ca96a;color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;text-decoration:none;padding:10px 26px;border-radius:8px;\">See our EVOO<\/a><\/div>\n<h2>How to Recognize a Good Extra Virgin Olive Oil<\/h2>\n<p>A good EVOO smells and tastes like <strong>fresh olives<\/strong>, with notes that may be reminiscent of grass, almonds, tomatoes, or apples, depending on the variety. <strong>Bitterness and pungency<\/strong> aren\u2019t defects\u2014they\u2019re signs of an oil rich in polyphenols (its antioxidants). What does give away a bad oil is a rancid, vinegary, or musty smell. If you want to learn more, check out our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/almazaraartal.com\/en\/what-happens-if-the-extra-virgin-olive-oil-is-out-of-date\/\">when an oil is past its prime<\/a>.   <\/p>\n<h2>Our extra virgin olive oil<\/h2>\n<p>At Almazara Artal, we oversee <strong>the entire process<\/strong>: cultivation, our own harvest, production, and quality control. We use traditional, meticulous methods, including cold pressing, to produce an extra virgin olive oil with a bold yet balanced flavor. And if you\u2019d like to discover how the flavor varies depending on the olive variety, check out our guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/almazaraartal.com\/en\/how-to-choose-the-best-olive-oil-for-each-dish\/\">which variety to use for each dish<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<div style=\"background:#eef3e6;border:1px solid #d7e2c6;border-left:4px solid #8ca96a;border-radius:10px;padding:16px 20px;margin:28px 0 8px;text-align:center;\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 6px;\"><strong style=\"color:#5c7a3a;\">\ud83e\uddd2 From the olive tree to your table<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;\">Our extra virgin olive oil from Lower Aragon, which has won more than 30 national and international awards. We ship throughout Spain and Europe. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/almazaraartal.com\/en\/shop\/\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#8ca96a;color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;text-decoration:none;padding:10px 26px;border-radius:8px;\">View the store<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Extra virgin&#8221; is the highest category of olive oil, but what do those two words really mean? It&#8217;s not just a marketing ploy: an extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) must meet specific requirements regarding production, acidity, and taste. We&#8217;ll explain what characteristics define it and how to recognize a good one. Quick Response Olive oil &#8230; <a title=\"What characteristics does an olive oil need to be extra virgin?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/almazaraartal.com\/en\/what-characteristics-does-an-olive-oil-need-to-be-extra-virgin\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about What characteristics does an olive oil need to be extra virgin?\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9002,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[119],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9000","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/almazaraartal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9000","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/almazaraartal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/almazaraartal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/almazaraartal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/almazaraartal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9000"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/almazaraartal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9000\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10120,"href":"https:\/\/almazaraartal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9000\/revisions\/10120"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/almazaraartal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/almazaraartal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/almazaraartal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/almazaraartal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}