You may see pure olive oil and extra virgin olive oil sitting next to each other at the grocery store. The word “pure” can make the first one sound like the higher-quality choice. It is not.
“Pure olive oil,” a common commercial label, generally refers to olive oil made by blending refined olive oil with virgin olive oil.
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), the highest grade in the virgin olive-oil category, is made directly from olives using mechanical or other physical processes, without refining. It must meet defined chemical and sensory standards.
Both come from olives, but how they are processed—and what remains in the oil afterward—is different. For a step-by-step explanation, see how olive oil is made.
What Is Pure Olive Oil?
“Pure” is a commercial descriptor, not a higher olive-oil grade. Products carrying that label generally contain a blend of refined olive oil and virgin olive oil.
You may also see products marketed as “olive oil,” “regular olive oil,” or “classic olive oil.” In U.S. grocery retail, these labels commonly refer to blends of refined olive oil and virgin olive oil, but the wording itself is not a quality grade.
The refined component typically begins as olive oil that is not fit for sale for direct consumption in the extra virgin or virgin categories because it does not meet the required sensory and/or chemical criteria. After refining, it is blended with virgin olive oil and sold in the olive-oil category.
The result is still olive oil—but it is categorically and sensorially different from extra virgin olive oil.
What Is Extra Virgin Olive Oil?
Extra virgin olive oil, or EVOO, is the highest grade in the virgin olive-oil category. It is produced directly from olives through mechanical or other physical processes and is not refined.
To qualify as EVOO, the oil must meet defined chemical requirements and pass sensory evaluation without defects under the applicable grading standards.
Because it is not refined, EVOO generally retains more of the olive fruit’s aroma compounds, flavor-active components and naturally occurring minor compounds than refined olive oil. These characteristics vary depending on cultivar, ripeness, harvest timing, milling, filtration, packaging and storage.
Extra virgin olive oils can therefore taste very different from one another. An EVOO may be fruity, herbaceous, delicate, bitter, peppery or somewhere in between.
What Does Refining Do to Olive Oil?
Refining produces a more neutral olive oil by reducing or eliminating defects, strong aromas and flavors, and other compounds associated with the original oil.
Refined olive oil, the milder base of many products sold simply as olive oil, is blended with virgin olive oil before bottling.
Refining also generally and substantially reduces naturally occurring minor compounds associated with virgin olive oils, including phenolic compounds. If you want to understand what these compounds actually tell you about an EVOO, read our guide to polyphenols in olive oil.
That is why a bottle labeled simply “olive oil” can taste considerably milder than a bottle of EVOO.
Does Olive Oil Color Tell You Its Quality?
No. Olive oil color is not a reliable indicator of quality or grade.
Extra virgin olive oil can range from green to yellow and many shades in between. Color can be influenced by olive variety, ripeness, pigments, filtration and other production factors.
A greener oil is therefore not automatically better, fresher or higher in quality.
Professional olive-oil tasting, a sensory assessment used to evaluate positive attributes and defects, uses blue-tinted tasting glasses to reduce visual bias. Professional panels assess characteristics such as fruitiness, bitterness and pungency while also identifying sensory defects.
If you want to judge an olive oil, look beyond color and pay attention to its grade, origin, harvest information, storage, sensory characteristics and, when available, laboratory analysis. For an independent educational perspective on olive-oil labels and evaluation, see the New York Olive Oil Organization Olive Oil Guide.
What Does Pure Olive Oil Taste Like?
Pure olive oil generally has a mild, relatively neutral flavor. Refining reduces much of the distinctive aroma and taste found in virgin olive oils.
That neutrality can be useful when you want olive oil without a pronounced olive flavor.
Extra virgin olive oil is different. Because it has not been refined, EVOO can retain a broader range of olive-derived aromas, flavors, bitterness and pungency. Depending on the oil, you may notice fresh fruit, herbs, vegetables, nuts, bitterness or a peppery sensation in the throat.
Neither color nor a single flavor tells the entire story. Olive oils vary naturally.
Is Light Olive Oil Lower in Calories?
No. Light olive oil, a label describing flavor rather than nutrition, is not lower in calories or fat than extra virgin olive oil.
“Light” or “extra-light-tasting” describes a milder, more neutral flavor. It should not be interpreted in the same way as a reduced-calorie food label.
Can You Cook With Extra Virgin Olive Oil?
Yes. Extra virgin olive oil can be used for cooking as well as finishing, dressing and dipping.
Products sold simply as olive oil are also suitable for cooking and may appeal when a neutral flavor or lower price is the priority.
The difference is not simply “one for cooking and one for finishing.” The better question is what flavor, quality characteristics and price make sense for what you are preparing. Our guide to choosing olive oil for cooking, dipping and finishing looks at those uses separately.
The Bottom Line
Pure olive oil and extra virgin olive oil are both olive oils, but they are not the same product.
Products marketed as “pure,” “classic,” or “regular” olive oil are commonly blends of refined olive oil and virgin olive oil, typically producing a milder, more neutral profile than EVOO.
Extra virgin olive oil, the highest grade in the virgin olive-oil category, is unrefined and must meet defined chemical and sensory requirements. It generally retains more of the natural aromas, flavors and minor compounds that make individual olive oils distinctive.
The easiest rule at the grocery store is simple: don’t let the word “pure” outrank the words “extra virgin.”
For an example of transparent EVOO information, Lumìa 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil identifies its Italian origin, harvest information and laboratory analysis, including 564 mg/kg of polyphenols at milling time and free acidity below 0.25%. Proper storage matters after opening, too; see how to store olive oil and keep it fresh.
Sources
- USDA — Olive Oil and Olive-Pomace Oil Grades and Standards
- North American Olive Oil Association — Tasting Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- New York Olive Oil Organization — Olive Oil Guide
