The New Gold Rush: Why Olive Oil Is Worth Its Weight in Flavor.

California has had a lot of gold rushes, but this one is the best!

Image by Rani Shoket from Pixabay

The Intentional Table: Your Essential Guide to Olive Oil and much more.
Everything you need to know—from choosing the right bottle to cooking confidently—about this ancient, flavor-enhancing ingredient.

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There is a well-known poem about olive oil by the Chilean Nobel Prize-winning poet Pablo Neruda, titled "Ode to Olive Oil" (originally in Spanish, Oda al aceite). It appears in his collection Odas Elementales (1954).

The poem is at the bottom of this post!

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Welcome back to The Intentional Table, your go-to space for thoughtful cooking tips, culinary insights, and everything that happens at the table: mine, yours, ours. It’s a place where people gather, nurture each other, converse, argue the point, concede the point, and otherwise get down to the business of companionship!

Today, I’m diving deep into the world of olive oil—an ingredient you probably know something about but may find surprisingly confusing. Plenty of conflicting advice exists, from buzzwords like “first cold pressed” to questions about frying, adulteration, and everything else. There is also plenty of fraud, bummer. But let’s dive in and see where the slippery business truly is.

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Why Olive Oil Can Be Confusing

Despite its ubiquitous presence in kitchens worldwide, olive oil comes with a surprising amount of lore and misinformation. There’s a wide range of terminologies—“extra virgin,” “cold pressed,” “light-tasting,” and more—and not all of them are straightforward. Add rumors about low smoke points, adulteration, and varying quality across brands, and it’s no wonder we sometimes feel lost in the olive oil aisle.

A Simple Definition, But Endless Variations

Fundamentally, olive oil is just the oil pressed from fresh olives—with no added ingredients. But like wine, coffee, or tea, the final flavor depends on countless factors: olive variety, geography, harvest time, and storage. Here’s a surprising statistic from Olive Oil: A Field Guide (2014) by Alexandra Kicenik Devarenne, director of the Extra Virgin Alliance (part of the North American Olive Oil Association, or NAOOA): There are an estimated 1,000 to 1,500 different olive cultivars worldwide. That number alone explains the variety of aromas, colors, and flavors.

I am not certain about you, but when I stand in the grocery store in front of the olive oil section (certainly so here in California), the number of choices is often overwhelming and sometimes very confusing. How many choices do I actually need? Why are there so many of them? How do they differ, how much do they cost, and if it’s on sale, is it really any good in the first place? Let’s take a look because it’s mostly about as clear as mud.

But Why?

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It’s Not Just an Italian Thing

You might immediately think of Italy when you hear “olive oil.” Yet, Spain stands out as the largest producer, generating about three times more olive oil than Italy. In fact, NAOOA Executive Director Joseph R. Profaci notes that 66 countries produce olive oil. In the United States, most come from California, but Texas, Oregon, Georgia, Florida, and Arizona are also getting in on the action.

Each region (and producer within that region) offers a range of flavors and qualities. While some styles are typical in certain locales, no single place claims the “best” olive oil—only the best bottle for your tastes and your cooking goals.

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Freshness Matters

Olive oil doesn’t improve with age. It should always smell and taste fresh, with aromas including green grass, apples, or artichokes. You’ll notice a little bitterness on the tongue or a subtle peppery finish. You don’t want rancid notes reminiscent of crayons, candle wax, or sweaty socks. That’s a clear sign the oil has gone bad, possibly from old olives or poor storage. If you detect these, don’t cook with it—return it or toss it out.

Want a quick lesson on “rancid” olive oil? Pour a small amount of any oil into a jar and leave it in direct sunlight for a few days; once it goes off, you’ll never forget that smell! This is how chefs are trained to detect it. Like the smell of corked wine, you can’t un-smell it!

Understanding Grades and Labels

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

This is the highest grade, produced exclusively by mechanical means (with no heat). It has no flavor defects and must exhibit at least some “fruitiness” that proves it was made from fresh, healthy olives. This category often offers the biggest flavor punch—think of it as the equivalent of a high-quality wine with complex aromas and taste.

Olive Oil (Sometimes Called “Pure” or “Regular”)

Plain “olive oil” lacks the vibrant flavor of extra virgin. It’s a blend of lower-grade virgin olive oil that has been refined to remove off-flavors, plus a small amount of virgin oil added back in for mild flavor.

Light-Tasting Olive Oil

Formerly labeled simply “light olive oil,” this has the same amount of fat and calories as any other olive oil. The term “light” refers only to its milder flavor. It, too, is refined olive oil blended with a dash of virgin olive oil.

Olive Pomace Oil

Pomace oil is less common on grocery shelves but often used in restaurants and beauty products. It is obtained by removing pits, pulp, and skins using solvents. After refining, some virgin olive oil is usually blended back in. Pomace oil is generally neutral in flavor and inexpensive. I think it’s spicier and more fragrant than most others, and I actually seek it out sometimes. Spanish oils are often this way.

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How to Choose the Right Olive Oil

At The Intentional Table, we like to keep things simple. For everyday cooking—whether you’re frying, baking, sautéing, or making dressings—an affordable, good-tasting supermarket extra-virgin olive oil is a versatile choice. That said, if you’re craving a more intense burst of freshness, you might consider stepping up to a premium extra virgin for salads, finishing drizzles, and dipping bread.

On the other hand, if you want a neutral flavor for high-heat applications, you could opt for regular or light-tasting olive oil. Interestingly, a recent NAOOA survey found that many people who start with lighter-tasting oils eventually transition to extra virgin olive oil as they learn to appreciate that extra flavor. Profaci calls it a “gateway” oil—once you dip in, you’re likely to explore the deeper end of the pool. HA, a gateway drug, is more like it. I had an officer stationed in the Philippines when I was in the military who would say if the Base Exchange (grocery) stopped carrying Olive Oil, we would resign!

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Pro Tips for Buying and Storing

1. Choose Dark or Opaque Bottles
   Light degrades olive oil, so opt for tins, painted or dark glass bottles, or other light-blocking packaging. If a clear glass bottle comes in a box, keep the box to protect it at home.

2. Check Harvest or Best-By Dates
   Olive oil is a fresh, seasonal product. In the Northern Hemisphere (including Europe and the U.S.), olives are typically harvested from October through January, with bottles hitting shelves in early spring. Harvest occurs in the Southern Hemisphere (Australia, Chile, etc.) from May to June, arriving in Northern Hemisphere stores around fall. Ideally, buy oils harvested in the last year and use them within a few months of opening. If a brand doesn’t display a harvest date, look at the best-by date—but remember, the producer often sets it, and is not strictly regulated.

3. Buy Only as Much as You’ll Use
   Air spoils olive oil over time, so don’t stock up on jumbo bottles that will sit around for months. And don’t “save” your fancy oil for rare occasions—its flavor will fade, so enjoy it while it’s fresh.

4. Taste Test at Home
   When you open a new bottle, give it a sniff and a small taste. If it seems off—rancid, sour, or musty—treat it like spoiled milk and return or discard it.

5. Consider Stocking Multiple Varieties
   Just as you might keep a cheaper “cooking wine” and a nicer bottle for sipping, you can do the same with olive oil. Have an everyday extra-virgin for general cooking and a premium bottle for dressings or drizzling at the table.

6. Don’t Fear the Smoke Point
   Contrary to popular belief, quality olive oil can often handle the same cooking temperatures as many vegetable oils. If you plan to deep fry frequently, you may want a more neutral, less expensive olive oil, but extra-virgin can stand up to sautéing and pan-frying without trouble.

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How now, green Goddess?

Olive oil is one of the most versatile, enjoyable ingredients you can use in your kitchen—and the more you learn, the better your dishes can taste. Whether you’re frying eggs, making pasta sauce, whisking a vinaigrette, or simply drizzling over fresh bread, there’s a place for both budget-friendly and premium extra-virgin oils in your pantry. Above all, remember that freshness is key: buy wisely, store it well, and use it generously.

Thanks for joining us at The Intentional Table. Now, you’ve got everything you need to pick out the perfect olive oil and make the most of its vibrant, versatile flavor. If you’ve got questions or recipes to share, drop them in the comments. We love hearing how you bring intentional choices to your table!

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Thank you for reading, and let’s get this conversation started, or at least chatter… write me or chat with me to ask specific questions, get brand information, and ask about uses from soap to cosmetics to salad dressing. I will be happy to address your questions!

Until we read again!

~ Jonathan

This post is public, so feel free to share it.

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Ode to Olive Oil

~ Pablo Naruda

Ode to Olive Oil by Pablo Neruda

Near the murmuring
In the grain fields, of the waves
Of wind in the oat-stalks
The olive tree
With its silver-covered mass
Severe in its lines
In its twisted
Heart in the earth:
The graceful
Olives
Polished
By the hands
Which made
The dove
And the oceanic
Snail:
Green,
Innumerable,
Immaculate
Nipples
Of nature
And there
In
The dry
Olive Groves
Where
Alone
The blue sky with cicadas
And the hard earth
Exist
There
The prodigy
The perfect
Capsules
Of the olives
Filling
With their constellations, the foliage
Then later,
The bowls,
The miracle,
The olive oil.
I love
The homelands of olive oil
The olive groves
Of Chacabuco, in Chile
In the morning
Feathers of platinum
Forests of them
Against the wrinkled
Mountain ranges.
In Anacapri, up above,
Over the light of the Italian sea
Is the despair of olive trees
And on the map of Europe
Spain
A black basketful of olives
Dusted off by orange blossoms
As if by a sea breeze
Olive oil,
The internal supreme
Condition for the cooking pot
Pedestal for game birds
Heavenly key to mayonnaise
Smooth and tasty
Over the lettuce
And supernatural in the hell
Of the king mackerels like archbishops
Our chorus
With
Intimate
Powerful smoothness
You sing:
You are the Spanish Language
There are syllables of olive oil
There are words
Useful and rich-smelling
Like your fragrant material
It's not only wine that sings
Olive oil sings, too
It lives in us with its ripe light
And among the good things of the earth
I set apart
Olive oil,
Your ever-flowing peace, your green essence
Your heaped-up treasure which descends
In streams from the olive tree.

And one by me:

Dusk settles on groves of silver leaves
Where ancient roots drink in slow, gentle rain.
Pressed pearls flow in emerald ribbons—
Liquid sun, warming bread, and tongue alike.
Bitterness and bloom entwined,
A fragrant promise—harvest’s honest grace.
So let us gather and pour the golden love
Over our tables, lives, and hearts.

I am such a hack…. lol