EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL (EVOO) QUIZ

Test your knowledge of Olive Oil here!

Click the link below or take out a pen and piece of paper..

https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/5f36904dce0e670014fe5d72

Questions:

1. You can tell the quality of extra virgin olive oil by its colour. Green oil is

a sign of a good oil:

a) true b) false

2. Olive oil is like wine – it gets better with age:

a) true b) false

3. In a German study of oil labelled extra virgin in supermarkets, 50% of
the oils were not actually extra virgin:

a) true b) false

4. Olive oil tasting is best done by using a piece of bread:

a) true b) false

5. Evoo contains anti-inflammatory properties:

a) true b) false

6. Because evoo is an oil, it can make your cholesterol higher:

a) true b) false

7. The best before date on a bottle of evoo is:

a) 6 months b) 1 year c) 18 months after bottling

8. In Italy there are:

a) 87 different varieties b) 33 varieties c) 538 varieties of olives

9. Evoo should not be used in cooking as it has a low smoke point:

a) true b) false

10. Research has shown that evoo has anti-cancer properties:

a) true b) false

11. It is best to use an intense evoo on:

a) steak b) salads c) fish

12. If there is a defect in the oil, it is picked up through:

a) tasting the oil b) smelling the oil

13. The oldest olive tree in the world is approximately:

a) 100 years old b) 300 years old c) 3,000 years old

14. An area in Greece has one of the highest consumption of evoo in
Europe. They use per person per year:

a) 20 litres b) 50 litres c) 75 litres

15. It is best to store evoo in:

a) a dark bottle b) a glass bottle c) it doesn’t matter

16. The best place to keep your evoo is

a) beside the stove where it is warm b) in a cool dark cupboard

ANSWERS
1. b. The colour of an olive oil does not tell you anything about the quality of the oil – it is more likely to be a characteristic of the olive variety.

2. b. The younger and fresher the olive oil the better. Olive oil deteriorates as it gets older.

3. a. Extra virgin olive oil can deteriorate quickly if not stored properly. In
supermarkets the oil can be subjected to strong lighting and heat which
degrades the oil. The oil could also have deteriorated when it was being
transported to the shop. Equally, the oil may never have been extra virgin,
despite being labelled so.

4. b. The best way to taste olive oil is the official olive oil tasting method. It is difficult to pick up on the quality by using bread to taste.

5. a. Extra virgin olive oil has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties – similar to Ibuprofin. Evoo contains more than 36 phenolic compounds and one specific compound in particular, known as oleocanthal, has been discovered to have powerful natural anti-inflammatory benefits.

6. b. Extra virgin olive oil is known to lower our LDL (bad cholesterol) and bring up our HDL (good cholesterol).

7. c. The BBD is 18 months from bottling. This may not be 18 months from
harvesting as the larger companies store their olive oil in large vats.

8. c. Who would have known!

9. b. This is a myth – you can cook with olive oil up to 200 degrees celsius. In a study evoo was the most stable oil of those tested. It yielded lower levels of polar compounds and trans fats when compared with other oils. Canola oil, Grapeseed Oil and Rice Bran Oil performed the worst and produced very high levels of polar compounds and trans fats. This shows that evoo is the safest and most stable oil to cook with - De Alzaa F, Guillaume C, Ravetti L. Evaluation of Chemical and Physical Changes in Different Commercial Oils during Heating. Acta Scientific. 2018;2(6):2-11.

10. a. Nutritional scientist Paul Breslin (Rutgers University), biologist David
Foster (Hunter College) and chemist Onica LeGendre (Hunter College)
discovered in a lab study that oleocanthal causes a rupture of a part of the
cancerous cell which releases enzymes and causes cell death, without harming healthy cells. Breslin stated “Oleocanthal has been shown to interfere with processes associated with many types of inflammation, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer formation and growth.”
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23723556.2015.1006077

11. a. Match a strong peppery and bitter olive oil to stronger flavours –
otherwise it can overwhelm the food.

12. b. Defects are picked up initially through smell. If the official taster can
smell a defect, then the olive oil is automatically assumed not to be extra virgin.

13. c. The ancient Olive Tree of Vouves (Elia Vouvon) on the island of Crete
is believed to be the oldest olive tree in the world (over 3,000 years old) and is still producing high quality olives.

14. b. Kritsa in Crete, Greece has one of the highest consumption of olive oil.

15. a. A dark bottle or tin. This is to keep the light out – light degrades evoo.

16. b. Storing evoo in a cool dark cupboard helps preserve its quality.

Karen Cryan (Extra Virgin Oil Taster/Sommelier) 2020