Many manufacturers mislabel their bottles as “extra virgin,” but in reality, the oil has been blended or diluted with either olive oil (lower category), old olive oil or sunflower oil, pomace oil or other nut oils. We recommend that you buy LIÁ extra virgin olive oil and smell and taste it first so you can get to know the taste of real extra virgin olive oil! Genuine EVOO smells fresh, like grass or something fruity. When you taste extra virgin olive oil, you should be able to detect notes of grass, fruits, artichokes, bananas and herbs in addition to the smell. Also, it’s a good sign if the oil tastes a little bitter and peppery. Don’t pay too much attention to the colour, because colour isn’t an indicator of quality or authenticity. However, pay attention to how it’s bottled. Extra virgin olive oil should be stored in a cool, dark place. If the bottle is transparent, you should stay away from that brand. A darker bottle will help preserve the olive oil. Also, olive oil should be stored in a glass bottle. A plastic bottle is too porous to protect it from heat, light or moisture. With LIÁ  extra virgin olive oil, you can always be sure that you’re getting real, 100% authentic, early harvested, extra virgin olive oil with high polyphenol content. Our extra virgin olive oil is produced in Messinia, Greece. For us, extra virgin olive oil means a fresh olive oil juice. And the unripe harvests mean much less olive oil, but much better, higher quality.

Most people have heard at some point in their lives that you can not cook with EVOO. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the ubiquitous cooking medium of the Mediterranean diet. It is an extremely healthy oil that can be used for all types of cooking, and there is much existing and new research on the health benefits of its high antioxidant content (some of which are found only in extra virgin olive oil) and the oil’s ability to enhance the health properties of other ingredients after cooking. Most foods cooked in Extra Virgin Olive Oil will contain higher levels of monounsaturated fatty acids than the original food. In addition, antioxidants from the olive oil transfer to the cooked food. Fat-soluble vitamins and food components such as glucosinolates (in broccoli and kale) and carotenoids (in carrots) are better absorbed by the body when cooked in Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It is a common misconception that you cannot cook with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and this is not scientifically proven. The smoke point of oil (the temperature at which the oil produces a thin, continuous stream of bluish smoke) has generally been used to predict the safety and suitability of oil for cooking at household temperatures. New research (2018) has shown that there is a poor correlation between an oil’s smoke point and its performance when heated. This research found the following: Smoke point says nothing about an oil’s performance when heated. Oxidation stability and UV coefficients are better predictors when combined with total polyunsaturated fatty acid content. Of all the oils tested, EVOO proved to be the oil that produced the least amount of harmful polar compounds. The production of polar compounds was more pronounced in refined oils. EVOO proved to be the most stable oil when heated, followed closely by other virgin oils.

To get to the bottom of this question, we need to understand how EVOO is produced. First, the olives are harvested and immediately taken to the mill, where they are cleaned and washed; then the olives are ground, producing a thick paste. The paste undergoes a process of slow stirring or kneading called “malaxation” to initiate the separation of the oil from the solids and water. The paste is then passed into a horizontal centrifuge (called a decanter) to separate the olive oil from the water and solids, and then passes through a second centrifuge at a higher speed to remove most of the remaining water and particles. The result of this vertical centrifuge is extra virgin olive oil. This Evoo is an unfiltered olive oil and contains some residual particles of olive fruit and water suspended in the oil, giving it a cloudy or hazy appearance. Filtering means separating the EVOO from the residual olive fruit particles. Filtering immediately after milling ensures that all bioactive moisture is quickly removed from olive oil, better preserving the beneficial fruit flavors of the EVOO. The olive particles in unfiltered olive oil will continue to ferment in the bottle. The sediment at the bottom of the bottle accelerates the oxidation of the olive oil as soon as the container is opened. Filtering helps to maintain stability and preserve the healthy properties of your olive oil.

Nowadays, fruits are not pressed but poured into metal presses. For this reason, the best term is “cold extraction”. After the olives are crushed into a paste and malaxed – slowly shaken or mixed so that smaller droplets of oil cluster together to form larger ones – the resulting paste is put into a centrifuge where the oil is separated from everything else. The modern milling process keeps the temperature of the olive paste below 27 °C to preserve the oil’s aromas, flavors and valuable ingredients. Any oil that is not carefully extracted without excessive heat cannot be called virgin or extra virgin olive oil when tasted or chemically analysed, so in this case, the term “cold-pressed” or “cold extracted” extra virgin olive oil is redundant.

The colour of olive oil is NOT an indicator of its quality or taste. High-quality oils can be green … or golden. Neither golden nor dark green is an indication of the quality of the oil. Green merely reflects chlorophyll content. It is a myth that the greener an oil is, the better it tastes, but some rogue businessmen and companies take advantage of consumer ignorance and claim their oil is best because of its green colour. This is simply not true! Also, chlorophyll can be added during the production process, artificially altering the colour and misleading unsuspecting buyers. Extra virgin olive oil must be judged by its taste, not its colour.

Extra virgin olive oil changes when stored in the refrigerator. EVOO forms crystals and begins to solidify when exposed to cold temperatures. Once EVOO is brought back to room temperature, oil returns to its liquid state. Some research suggests that repeated heating and cooling – such as storage in the refrigerator between uses – stresses the oil and does not necessarily extend its shelf life. It’s also inconvenient to bring olive oil to room temperature to use it. It’s best to store your olive oil in a cool, dark cupboard or pantry.

Join our exclusive LIÁ retail family and discover all the benefits of working with an innovative company with years of experience in the food industry and an authentic personal approach. We are a family, a small group of select professionals with a keen eye for detail who go above and beyond to deliver only the best, a premium extra virgin olive oil that has managed to start its journey from a small town in Messinia, Greece and reach the world, winning significant awards in numerous competitions and in people’s hearts. Whether you are a restaurant owner or a retailer looking for flavours that will satisfy even the most demanding customers, LIÁ is exactly what you are looking for. If you are interested in becoming one of our partners, please fill out the contact form here. We look forward to meeting you and discussing your exact needs.

We supply wholesalers and food distributors all over the world with one of the best single-varietal olive oils you can find on the market. Even if you’re looking for gifts for your employees or clients, we can prepare them for you! We can provide you with a list of trusted distributors in Europe, North America and Singapore. To discuss your exact needs and find the nearest retailer, please send us your inquiry by filling out the contact form here.