2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14
It makes no sense to talk about the beneficial properties of olive oil - they are already well known. It remains only to choose the manufacturer. In Russia, olive trees are not harvested. But there is an opportunity to buy oil from Greece, Spain, Italy. These are the three largest countries supplying the product to the markets of Europe and Asia. In this article, we describe the characteristics of the Spanish olive oil ITLV.
Photos of the products of this company and consumer reviews will complement our description. The quality of the resulting oil depends on the extraction and processing of raw materials. How to understand the company's products, how to read the label correctly? We will devote attention to this issue. What is the he althiest olive oil? Can you fry food on it? You will find answers to these questions below.
How olive oil differs from other vegetable fats
The greatest poet of antiquity, Homer, called the product obtained from the olive fruit "liquid gold". And modern research on the trace elements contained in olive oil has proven him right. This product isthe main food of the inhabitants of the Mediterranean region, where there are so many slender, fit and he althy people. The main secret of olive oil is its high content of unsaturated fatty acids and, in particular, olein.
This substance lowers cholesterol levels, speeds up metabolism, is easily absorbed by the body and suppresses hunger. The olive fruit contains many vitamins. Unlike other vegetable oils, olive oil has a higher boiling point, so it doesn’t burn when it’s fried and it doesn’t produce free radicals. On the contrary, the product is recommended by experts as the prevention of cancer. Olive oil is used not only in cooking, but also in cosmetology and medicine.
How to choose a quality product. Learning to read a label
First of all, you should not judge the quality of olive oil by its color. It can be greenish, dark or light yellow and even cloudy. The color is influenced by the variety of olives, their ripeness, harvest time and region of growth. But all other indicators are very reflected in the quality of the product.
The first thing you should pay attention to is the packaging. The sun's rays destroy the structure of olive oil, reduce its beneficial properties. Therefore, choose a product enclosed either in a tin or in a dark glass bottle. Olive oil ITLV, by the way, is produced in such a green container. A conscientious manufacturer should inform a potential buyer:
- where the crop is grown,
- where the butter was packaged,
- whatprocessed olive berries,
- what is the acidity of the oil,
- refined or not.
Andalusia is considered the best region for olives in Spain. It is desirable that the product has a DOP category. This abbreviation means that, unlike IGP, the crop was harvested, processed into oil and packaged in one place.
What is the processing of olive berries
In ancient times, people used an ordinary press, which was activated by hands or with the help of a donkey walking in a circle. As a result of such an elementary extraction, an oil of a slightly greenish color with a slight bitterness was obtained. Its acidity is no more than 0.8 percent. This is called Extra Virgin Olive Oil. ITLV also releases a product in this category.
Extra Virgin oil is considered the best and is expensive. With the development of technology, people have noticed that if the cake is subjected to heat treatment or chemical reagents are used, then the berries will give a little more oil. These product types are called "Classico" and "Pomace". The acidity of such oils increases to 3.5 percent. If "Extra Virgin" is used for dressing salads and in cosmetology (creams and hair masks), then products of the lower category are only for frying.
About ITLV Brand
Greece, Italy and Spain supply olive oil to Russia. And 60% of imports come from Borges. This respected Spanish company was founded in 1914 and has never stopped producing,despite the hardships of the two World Wars. Now this major olive oil producer has opened a subsidiary, Industrial Technologica Laintex Veterani (ITLV for short), specifically to supply products to Eastern Europe.
The company is interested in long-term cooperation, so olives and oil from them are of high quality. Given that in Eastern Europe the product is used infrequently, for special occasions, the company packs it in small bottles of 250 milliliters. Otherwise, this is an excellent oil that can be bought in Spain itself. But the price cannot but please the Russians (254 rubles). According to the 2018 rating, ITLV Classico olive oil ranked second among all similar products from Spain.
Gastronomic characteristics
About vegetable fats, we only know that they can be refined (purified from the taste and smell of raw materials) and unrefined. Olive oil has more gastronomic characteristics. "Extra Virgin" has a high berry content. That is, the taste of oil in this category is slightly bitter. The aroma of a quality product should give out a complex bouquet of greens, spicy notes. The aftertaste of a good oil is long and fresh, soft.
The main distinguishing feature of a high quality product is a "clean mouth". This means that after swallowing the product, there is no unpleasant greasy film left on the palate and tongue. And according to the reviews, ITLV olive oil fully meets all these criteria. Now consider the brands of products thatthe company supplies to the Russian market.
ITLV Extra Virgin Olive Oil
In reviews of this highest quality (and price) category of fats, many users note that there are several items on the market. Among the new products of the brand, they call "Extra Virgin for children." Scientists have discovered that the fat composition of olive oil is similar to that found in mother's milk. Oil for children is produced by cold-pressing olives grown in an ecologically clean area.
Of course, the baby is unlikely to like the bitter taste of Extra Virgin. But oil can be added to baby food - salads, cereals. Then the bitter taste will not be heard. "Oil for children" affects the growth of bone tissue and helps digestion. There is another brand of environmentally friendly product. It's called Extra Virgin ECO.
Blended Extra Virgin
If you want to top your salads and appetizers with quality ITLV olive oil without spending a lot of money, you can get regular Extra Virgin. This product is produced by the first cold mechanical pressing. But olives for oil were grown in different regions of Spain. In addition, it is a mixture of varieties. This oil has a pleasant aroma, soft, balanced taste with a characteristic bitterness.
The product is produced using the traditional Spanish method. Early in the morning, at dawn, olives are harvested, and by evening the oil is bottled. This method allows you to save all the beneficial properties of fresh berries. SuchThe oil is a good dressing for meat and fish dishes. It also goes well with salads.
Oils with characteristic flavors
If you consider yourself a gourmet, buy fats made from a single variety of olives. Then the product will have a pronounced taste of its own, which will not “dissolve” in dishes. In the reviews, users praise ITLV's Extra Virgin Elegante olive oil very much. It really has a very elegant taste with hints of apple and almond.
Ideal for salad dressings is extra virgin olive oil Balancio. In this product, you can feel the freshness of green, slightly unripe berries, thanks to which the bitterness is heard more expressively. Users recommend using this brand in vegetable dishes, especially eggplant and sweet peppers. But the potential of the oil is well revealed in salads, as well as in marinades.
For frying
"Extra Virgin" can be poured into a frying pan, but the high price of the product does not allow even the Spaniards to do this. For frying it is better to use ITLV Classico olive oil. It is a mixture of refined and unrefined fats. Due to the high smoke point, a delicious crust forms on the fried foods, the risk of burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan is reduced. "Classico" can also be used for dressing salads by those who do not like the bitterness of olive berries.
ITLV Selecto is also suitable for frying. This fat mixture consists of three types of oils:extra virgin olive, high oleic sunflower and rapeseed. When frying, this mix does not form carcinogens and trans fats. Rapeseed oil enriches the whole mixture with vitamin E, as well as extremely he althy Omega-3 polyunsaturated acids. This product also has a high smoke point. ITLV produces not only oils, but also olives with black olives, as well as high-quality grape vinegars.
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