According to a recent oil master, olive oil is also suitable for frying.
There are big differences in olive oils. Adobe Stock / AOP
Does heating spoil olive oil? Many Finns answer yes to this question.
It is known that he has completed Finland’s first olive oil master’s degree Laura Valvanne hope for a change in our knowledge of olive oil. According to him, olive oil is also great for frying.
Valvanne studied for a Master of Olive Oil Consultant degree at the Escuela Superior del Aceite de Oliva in Valencia, Spain. As a day job, Valvanne runs the deli shop DeliDel with her husband.
By chance, he heard about a degree offered by a school in Valencia, Spain. Valvanne enrolled in studies and graduated in the spring of 2022 as Finland’s known first olive oil master.
Extra virgin olive oil is pressed without heating. Adobe Stock / AOP
– In the studies, all stages in olive oil production are covered, starting with cultivation. We received a lot of online materials and had remote discussions with tutors in addition to physical meetings. In addition, the school sent an oil package every month, which was used to do the tastings yourself. The most important thing is that you can recognize the quality of the olive oil by tasting it and that you can find any defects in the oil, says Valvanne.
One of the areas of Valvante’s degree dealt with the composition of olive oil. For example, the fatty acid composition of olive oil is a large part of the product. There are big differences in olive oils. Extra Virgin olive oil and plain olive oil are two different products, as their fatty acid composition is different.
Contrary to popular belief, olive oil is also suitable for frying. Adobe Stock / AOP
– One of the main topics of my thesis was why oil should be extra virgin and why regular olive oil and extra virgin oil cannot be considered the same. The correct Finnish name for extra virgin would certainly be extra virgin olive oil, but since all the bottles say “extra virgin”, I think it will confuse Finns if I talk about extra virgin oil, Valvanne says in the press release.
Another topic of Valvante’s thesis was how to use olive oil.
– In Finland, there is a strong belief that olive oil can only be used cold and that it is a bad thing to fry with it. However, this is not true, as the latest studies clearly show that extra virgin olive oil withstands frying the best, Valvanne comments.
Valvanne emphasizes the healthiness of olive oil. According to him, the most important thing is that the olive juice is pressed mechanically and cold.
You should choose a different olive oil for finishing the salad than for frying. Adobe Stock / AOP
– It is the only oil that is produced this way. All other oils require heat to extract the oil from the plant. After all, Extra Virgin olive oil is olive juice that has not been chemically treated.
If the choice of olive oils seems difficult, Valvanne advises to emphasize the taste when choosing.
In addition, when choosing olive oil, you can also think about what the oil will be used for: whether it will be used as cooking oil, for salads or to finish pasta.