Arts & Entertainment
The mother of all oils
Published
4 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBy Scott Mechura EBS FOOD COLUMNIST
One day, butter is good for us. Then it isn’t. But wait, then it is again. I guess it just depends on who you ask.
Then canola oil was supposed to be the healthy oil that was easy and inexpensive to produce and was going to save us all. But canola oil, when used as a primary cooking oil, is connected to the most obese nations on earth.
Coconut oil? I once thought I was going to see a fist fight over it between two shoppers in a grocery store. One said it was terrible for you, while the other maintained it was nature’s best oil.
There is one oil that has been right in front of us and is used in almost everything—and it continues to stand up to the standards of even the most holistic of naturopaths. I’m talking about olive oil.
Wikipedia would tell you that olive oil is simply “a liquid obtained from olives,” but it is so much more than that. In fact, the generic word oil, is a derivative of the Latin word oleum, which was specifically olive oil.
Spain is the largest producer of olive oil in the world, with Italy and Greece close behind, though Greece is the biggest consumer of olive oil per capita. While many of us here in the U.S. consume olive oil and utilize in a variety of ways, North America, northern Europe, and southeast Asia are far behind the aforementioned countries in terms of consumption.
Cultivated as early as the eight millennium B.C., the olive tree is native to the great Mediterranean Basin, but more specifically Greece. However, DNA suggests that Neanderthal man consumed olives.
Today there are no less than 700 cultivars of some form of olive. Not to be confused with variety, which is a group of plants within a species, a cultivar is a plant maintained by horticulturists but does not produce true to seed.
Olive trees grow extremely slowly and can live a long time, with the longest one on record being the Olive tree of Vouves, in Crete, which has celebrated over 3,000 birthdays.
Aside from its many culinary uses, olive oil was and still is used for such things as medicine, fuel for lamps, soap, skincare and even religious ceremonies, specifically the Minoans. In Jewish observance, it was the only oil allowed as fuel in the seven lamps of menorahs during the great exodus of the Israeli tribes from Egypt.
Extra virgin is the highest grade of olive oil—though not just any olive or oil will qualify as extra virgin. It must go through a battery of tests for chemical make-up, including measuring free fatty acids, peroxide levels and a variety of other acids. Additionally, by law, extra virgin oil can have no more than 0.8 percent free acidity, which contributes to its desirable flavor.
Unlike sunflower, safflower, grapeseed, canola or coconut oils, olive oils come with provenance and have distinct flavors, depending on soil, climate, and more than anything, country of origin.
As a general rule:
Spanish olive oils tend to be yellow to golden, with some pale green on occasion. They are most often fruity and nutty.
Italian olive oils are generally of a darker green hue and are a bit more grassy and herbal, and have a higher cycloartenol content. More so than Spanish oils.
Greek olive oil tends to be greener, like Italian varieties, but is usually much stronger in flavor profile. It is the highest in polyphenols.
Cycloartenols and polyphenols are beneficial to our bodies in so many ways that it could be another article. This might give the impression that Spanish olive oil isn’t healthy. But I assure you: it is. It’s like saying you aren’t as healthy as me because I ran a marathon and you only ran 20 miles. Suffice it to say that any olive oil is extremely beneficial to us.
Scott Mechura has spent a life in the hospitality industry. He is a former certified beer judge and currently the executive chef at Buck’s T-4 Lodge in Big Sky.
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
Upcoming Events
march, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
more
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
more
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
Time
15 (Friday) 7:00 pm - 30 (Saturday) 8:30 pm
Location
Verge Theater
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
more
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
Event Details
Thursday of the Lord’s Supper Mass St. Joseph Catholic Mission
Event Details
Thursday of the Lord’s Supper Mass
St. Joseph Catholic Mission
Time
(Thursday) 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm