Here’s a guide to buying olive oil from Jamie’s Italian. Do you spend a long time thinking about what olive oil to buy? Is it what’s on offer? Or do you find the flavour too strong?

Personally I always keep two types of olive oil in the cupboard: one all-purpose olive oil for frying and cooking which doesn’t have a strong flavour, and one or more extra virgin olive oils for when the oil is added raw such as salad dressing.

I’ve tried some fantastic olive oils in my time, some are peppery like fresh rocket, some have a deep walnut aroma and some have a fresh grassy taste.  The wheel in the middle of the graphic shows you just how varied the flavours can be.

This image contains lots of interesting facts about olive oil. The bit that surprised me most was the Spain producing the most olive oil in the world. Ask me and I would’ve said Italy hands-down.

What are your favourite olive oils to have in the cupboard?

Key takeaways:

Who makes the most olive oil?

Spain	825,700 tonnes
Italy	302,500 tonnes
Greece	300,000 tonnes

How do you taste olive oil?

1. Pour a small amount into a wine glass
2. Warm the oil by cupping the glass in one hand and covering the top with the other
3. Swirl for a minute or two, and then give it a swirl
4. Now take a sip – breathe through the nose allowing the flavours to expand across your palate

What are the main flavours of olive oil?

• Bitter
• Fruity
• Musky
• Aromatic

This is a sponsored post from Jamie’s Italian.