Choosing an olive oil from a shelf of bottles at wildly varied price points can be challenging. But going with the numerous benefits accompanying leveraging olive oil, this is a decision you should never skimp on at any given time.
Either way, it pays off to spend some time doing your homework to better understand what goes into making an informed purchase decision. In this simple guide, we take you through some of the pro tips on buying and using good olive oil in Singapore.
Know the Differences between the Types of Olive Oil
There are two types of olive oil generally available in most supermarkets i.e., extra virgin olive oil and regular olive oil. As a rule of thumb, olive oils ranked in order of flavor intensity from most to least are: extra virgin olive oil, classic olive oil, and light-tasting olive oil. In terms of health benefits, all olive oil has the same number of calories, and all have heart-healthy benefits.
When it comes to cooking, all olive oils are safe for cooking even at relatively high temperatures and retain the majority of their healthy attributed when heated. Be sure to choose the type of olive oils based on your taste preferences and budget. However, you should keep in mind that the more flavorful oils may offer more health benefits.
Always Read the Label
You should make it the norm to read the label when visiting an olive oil Singapore store to leverage. Even if it is written in Italian, French, or Spanish, you can probably figure out enough to recognize harvest and ‘use by’ dates. The finest producers of olive oil always put the harvest date proudly on their olive oil. Actually, the use-by-date can be a little deceptive since it is usually 18 months from bottling, rather than from harvest.
Buy Bottle Sizes that You Will Use within a Few Months of Opening
Even though the best-by-date on your bottle may be far off, olive oil is a natural product like produce and it will degrade when exposed to heat, oxygen and light. The volatile flavor compounds in extra virgin olive oil will dissipate if stored or for too long. For this reason, you should use the olive oil within a reasonable time of opening for best results. Only then will you not regret your decision of buying olive oil.
