How to Choose the Best
Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil

What is extra virgin olive oil?

Extra virgin olive oil is the highest grade of virgin olive oil. It is obtained from olives by mechanical means without refining and must meet chemical and sensory standards for the extra virgin category.

For the nutritional context—including olive oil’s composition, human research, and everyday use—read our guide to the benefits of extra virgin olive oil.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil vs Olive Oil: What's the Difference?

Extra virgin olive oil is produced directly from olives by mechanical means without refining. Regular products labeled simply olive oil typically contain refined olive oil blended with virgin olive oil.

The difference matters because extra virgin olive oil retains more of the olive fruit's natural aroma and flavor. When choosing a bottle, look for extra virgin on the label rather than simply olive oil.

Unlike refined olive oils, extra virgin olive oil retains the natural aroma, flavor and character of the olive fruit. It can be used for both cooking and finishing.

Virgin Olive Oil vs Extra Virgin Olive Oil: What's the Difference?

Both virgin olive oil and extra virgin olive oil are obtained from olives by mechanical means without refining. The difference is the grade. Extra virgin olive oil must meet stricter chemical requirements and have no sensory defects under the applicable standards.

Virgin olive oil may have higher free acidity and sensory defects while still remaining within the virgin category. Extra virgin is therefore the highest grade of virgin olive oil.

What Makes a High-Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil?

Start with what can actually be checked. Origin, harvest, extraction, storage and laboratory measurements tell you more about an olive oil than decorative language on the front label.

Milan Truffle's extra virgin olive oil is a Product of Italy, cold extracted and protected in dark glass. The goal is straightforward: preserve the character of the olive fruit and give you enough information to understand what you are buying.

What Does Cold Extracted Extra Virgin Olive Oil Mean?

Cold extraction means the olive oil is mechanically extracted while the processing temperature is controlled. The oil is not chemically refined.

Milan Truffle's extra virgin olive oil is cold extracted in Italy. Cold extraction helps preserve the natural aroma, flavor and character of the olive fruit.

What Is High-Polyphenol Extra Virgin Olive Oil?

High-polyphenol extra virgin olive oil refers to EVOO with a relatively high measured concentration of naturally occurring olive polyphenols. There is no single universal threshold that defines an olive oil as “high polyphenol,” so the laboratory measurement and when it was taken matter more than the phrase alone.

Laboratory analysis at milling time recorded total polyphenols of 564 mg/kg. These naturally occurring compounds contribute to the oil's bitterness, peppery character, and oxidative stability.

Polyphenol content is not static. It is highest around harvest and declines with time, heat, oxygen and light exposure. That is why the number is stated as a measurement at milling time, rather than as a permanent concentration in every bottle months later.

Can You Drink Extra Virgin Olive Oil Every Day?

Yes, you can drink extra virgin olive oil every day. Drinking it is simply one way of consuming extra virgin olive oil, alongside using it with food, not a separate grade or category of olive oil.

People who take it daily usually do so because extra virgin olive oil is mostly monounsaturated fat and, unlike refined olive oil, keeps the olive's naturally occurring polyphenols. How much of those polyphenols a given oil contains depends on the olives, the harvest and the oil's age, which is why a measured figure tells you more than the word "healthy" on a label.

A common amount is between one teaspoon and one tablespoon a day, taken first thing in the morning or with a meal if oil on an empty stomach is uncomfortable. One tablespoon (15 mL) contains about 120 calories.

If you are choosing an olive oil to drink every day, look for the same indicators that matter in any good extra virgin olive oil: disclosed harvest information, an explicit country of origin, a bottle that protects the oil from light, laboratory data, and a fresh aroma and flavor.

Milan Truffle's Italian extra virgin olive oil can be enjoyed by the spoonful or used raw with bread, vegetables, soups and other foods.

Why can extra virgin olive oil taste peppery?

A quality extra virgin olive oil may give you bitterness across the tongue and a peppery catch at the back of the throat. That peppery sensation is characteristic of many fresh, phenolic extra virgin olive oils. It can soften as an oil ages, which is one reason harvest information matters more than the best-by date alone.

When was this olive oil harvested?

The current harvest is Fall 2025. Olive oil is not wine: freshness matters, and knowing the harvest gives you a more useful reference point than relying only on a best-by date.

What Is Early Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil?

Early harvest extra virgin olive oil is made from olives harvested earlier in the season, while much of the fruit is still green or beginning to ripen. Earlier harvesting generally produces less oil from the fruit but can contribute to a more pronounced bitter and peppery sensory profile.

Harvest timing is one reason the harvest date or season is useful when evaluating extra virgin olive oil. It tells you more about the oil's freshness and production than a best-by date alone.

What Should You Look for in Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil?

Start with a clear statement of origin. If you want Italian extra virgin olive oil, look for a bottle that identifies Italy as the country of origin rather than relying only on Italian names, imagery or packaging.

Then look beyond origin. Harvest information, extraction method, storage conditions and laboratory measurements can tell you more about the oil itself. Milan Truffle's extra virgin olive oil is a Product of Italy, cold extracted in Italy and bottled in dark glass.

How Do You Choose the Best Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil?

There is no single best extra virgin olive oil for everyone, but there are useful signs of quality. Look for a recent harvest, clear origin, proper storage, mechanical extraction and measurable information about the oil rather than relying only on marketing claims.

Taste matters too. A fresh extra virgin olive oil should smell and taste like fresh olive fruit, with bitterness and pepperiness depending on the olives, harvest and style of the oil.

What does free acidity mean?

Free acidity is a laboratory measurement, not the sourness you taste in an oil. It is one of the measurements used when evaluating whether an olive oil meets extra virgin standards.

Free acidity <0.25%.

Can you cook with extra virgin olive oil?

Yes. Extra virgin olive oil can be used for everyday cooking, including sautéing, roasting and baking. Smoke point varies with the oil's quality and condition, but extra virgin olive oil is suitable for many common home-cooking temperatures.

It can also be used raw for dipping, dressing and finishing vegetables, bread, pasta, soups and other dishes.

That is different from how we position our truffle finishing oils. Truffle aroma is the reason to add those oils after cooking, while extra virgin olive oil itself is useful both over heat and at the table.

How should you store extra virgin olive oil?

Keep extra virgin olive oil tightly closed and away from heat, light and oxygen. A cupboard away from the stove is better than a sunny countertop, and dark glass helps reduce exposure to light.

Once opened, olive oil begins a gradual decline in freshness. Rather than saving an open bottle indefinitely, use it regularly and pay attention to its aroma. Fresh olive oil should smell clean and pleasant; stale, flat or unpleasant odors can be signs that the oil has deteriorated.

Milan Truffle uses dark glass for its 500 mL extra virgin olive oil bottle to help protect the oil from light.