Olive oil Crete P.G.I., extra virgin

Oils from young, green olives have a distinctly bitter and pungent taste. These are positive characteristics and make up the character of a good extra virgin olive oil. Bitterness and pungency are positive characteristics in an olive oil, as is fruitiness, according to the European Olive Oil Regulation, and are signs of a high polyphenol content in the oil.

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This refers to the proportion of free fatty acids, measured as oleic acid. This figure is an important factor in assessing the quality of an olive oil. For extra virgin olive oil, the legal maximum is 0.8 g/100 g of oil. A low proportion of free oleic acid indicates the optimum state of ripeness and rapid processing. Therefore, both the right time of harvest and the prompt and careful processing are crucial for best quality.

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Since enzymes in the turbid matter of the oil break down the high-quality ingredients, experts recommend filtering. Unfiltered olive oil is a real delicacy when freshly pressed, but it should be consumed quickly.

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Extra virgin olive oil is suitable for cold preparations such as salads, marinated foods as well as for gentle frying, steaming and cooking at temperatures up to 180°C at the most.

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You can clearly answer this question with a “yes”. An extra virgin olive oil may also taste balanced bitter and spicy

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Rapunzel olive oils are rich in natural ingredients. The secondary plant substances they contain also include waxes, which precipitate at cool temperatures and become visible as flakes or streaks. When stored at room temperature, they dissolve again after 1-2 days. We deliberately refrain from so-called winterisation (filtration of the olive oil at temperatures < 8°C). Other secondary plant substances show the original character of the oil.

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No, this is not the case. In refined olive oil, for example, the olive oil polyphenols have been almost completely separated by the refining process. In olive oils of the "extra virgin" category, the contents vary relatively strongly. There are oils with high contents and oils with low contents. The phenolic compound content of olive oil depends on the cultivation and ripeness of the olives at harvest. Variety-specific differences are also evident. For example, the Coratina olive, whose main cultivation area is in Apulia, is known to have the highest content of olive oil polyphenols. This is used, for example, for Rapunzel extra virgin fruity olive oil. The total number of phenolic compounds and α-tocopherol is highest in young, green olives. Thus, oils produced from these olives contribute significantly to the intake of olive oil polyphenols.

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The polyphenol content is highest in those oils that are characterised by a strong “green fruitiness”, a taste that is accompanied by pungency and bitterness. The green impression, reminiscent of freshly mown grass, grated green leaves or freshly cut apples, comes from aromatic substances that enter the oil primarily through young, green olives. These have the highest content of polyphenols, which are also responsible for its pungent and also bitter taste, among other things. For example, the polyphenol called “oleocanthal” is responsible for the burning, pungent sensation in the base of the throat, which is stronger the more of it is contained in the oil. Again, a polyphenol called oleuropein is responsible for the bitterness. A fresh olive oil contains more polyphenols than one that has been stored for longer. Since these polyphenolic compounds are abundantly metabolised in the oil, an analysis for polyphenols is only a sample at a given time.

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In order to be able to guarantee a high-quality extra virgin olive oil, all Rapunzel oils are carefully sensory and analytically tested. Before being bottled at Rapunzel, each olive oil is sensory tested both by the company's own specially trained sensory panel and by an official olive oil panel. Analyses by renowned external laboratories additionally ensure the quality. All olive oils bottled for Rapunzel are well below the legally permitted maximum values required for the “extra virgin” label. This is because we only accept “extra virgin” olive oils for bottling that are well away from the limit of the European Olive Oil Regulation VO No. 2568/91. These limits are at a peroxide value of 20 or a free fatty acid content of 0.8. Even if these oils are still considered extra virgin, one can already notice sensory deficiencies in this area. And for Rapunzel olive oils, we only accept the best, flawless quality.

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Bitters are often perceived as defective. A balanced bitter note is an official quality characteristic of olive oil, as described before. The bitterness of olive oils is caused by phenolic compounds such as oleuropein in the olive. Bitter foods were a big part of man's original diet. Over time, the food industry has bred the bitter substances out of many foods and shaped a different sense of taste – even though bitter substances are so healthy! They stimulate digestion and thus have an influence on many other bodily functions that are related to metabolism.

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Rapunzel coconut and frying oil are all wonderfully suitable for frying, baking and deep-frying. These frying and deep-frying fats have the decisive advantage in the hot kitchen of remaining stable even at high temperatures and not developing any substances that are harmful to health. They are tasteless and have a long shelf life. Rapunzel frying oil is pressed from 100% high oleic sunflower seeds from controlled organic cultivation, without external heat input. It contains a high content of oleic acid, which makes it particularly suitable for baking, frying and deep-frying at high temperatures.

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Streaks in the oil or on the bottom of the bottle are natural components of the seeds, so-called secondary plant substances and seed components. This is not a detriment to quality.

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