AOVE- What is it?

AOVE is the acronym for Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which is the highest quality olive oil there is. In total there are three main types of oils, olive oil, virgin olive oil and extra virgin olive oil.

Olive Oil Types

What is the difference between the oils? Well, the difference is mainly due to the way they are processed. For example, olive oil is the “lower quality” oil, and this is due to the elimination of vitamins, minerals and polyphenols (antioxidants) which are the main characteristics of the other two, but it loses them through chemical treatment and temperature.

The other two denominations of olive oil maintain this quality thanks to the fact that their extraction is mechanical, preserving all the beneficial compounds, and the precision and cleanliness of the pressing process is responsible for the contamination and slight bad smells or none at all.

The difference in quality between these two oils is so small that only an official taster is responsible for the classification between a virgin olive oil and an extra virgin olive oil.

Therefore, the AOVE designation is very important to differentiate a good quality oil from others of lesser quality. You can also find the abbreviation AVOO which stands for Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It is very important not to confuse this last abbreviation with AOVE which are very similar changing the ‘A’ for the ‘E’ but they are different things, one is the AOVE (extra virgin olive oil) and the AOVE is the extra virgin olive oil that is extracted only by crushing olives and extracting the juice. No chemicals or industrial refining are used, to be considered AOVE it cannot exceed 0.8% free fatty acidity and it cannot have defects in aroma or flavour.

AOVE varieties

There are several types of extra virgin olive oil:

• Premium AOVE is usually of limited production with an excellent quality specific to the area and the olive variety.
• Organic AOVE are those that use organic methods in their agricultural techniques, avoiding the use of products and methods that do not respect the biological balance.
• Green AOVE are those extra virgin olive oils that are harvested early.

Where to buy AOVE

Extra virgin olive oil can be bought in supermarkets, small shops or directly from farmers’ cooperatives and oil mills. If we buy it directly from a cooperative, we know 100% that its origin is Spanish.

If we want an extra virgin olive oil with a stronger flavour we can opt for one from Picual or Hojiblanca olives, but if we want it to have a milder taste on the palate we should choose an extra virgin olive oil from Arbequina or Empeltre.

This liquid gold is recommended to be taken daily for all its benefits, but a minimum daily amount must be ingested for it to begin to provide any benefit.

According to the European Food Safety Agency recommends a minimum intake of 20 grams of extra virgin olive oil per day, which is usually three tablespoons. And the maximum recommended daily intake of extra virgin olive oil is 37 grams, about five tablespoons, because it has a high calorie content and too much extra virgin olive oil could be counterproductive.