Okay, let's try something different:
 

How does olive oil lose it's virginity?SmileWavy

you don't wanna know.

it involves Bluto and a twelve pack of Schlitz.

How is it "extra virgin" too? Either you are or you aren't. Or does "extra virgin" mean no BJs either or somethin?

If it gets hot pressed, it's no longer virgin.

Hey, you wouldn't be either!

Les

I have news for you guys - I have a very good friend from San Lupo Italy who has been in the Olive Oil trade for over 30 years. (Hay, its a good lube for the right application!). Unless you are able to get olive oil right from a press in Italy, anything coming into the states is not 100% olive oil - it is cut with another veg oil to reduce costs or improve margins. Virgin has to do with clearity - the lighter the more virgin.

Gosh, that takes all the mystique out of it!

Now it's not going to taste near as good on my favorite pasta dishes. ;)

You gotta get an Italian source - how bout Isabo. I bet she could deliver the goods in a pure, virgin form!

actually as I understand it the amount of "virginity" is based on oleic acid content. Less than 0.8% (usually from the first cold press) is extra virgin, under 2% is virgin. Virgin also refers to processed without chemical treatment as opposed to "pure" which uses chemical extraction.

I believe that Virgin does not relate to the color. People thought it was from the "first press" of the olives as they are pressed more than once, but Virgin actually is it's acid content. Virgin means not more than .05% acid
Steve

anyone check out snopes on this? Wiki? I gotta do some reaearch

You guys are really taking the fun out of this one.

It Wasn't Me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Popeye ...or was it Brutus?

Tag-teamed.

Hey, she's got two...awe, never mind. :D

Non virgin olive oil comes from olives out of martinis that still have the pimento in them.

Do my tortillas care if they are cooked in Virgin or Extra Virgin? Do they care if I get it from Trader Joes or Gelsens?
Do I care after the first two Pacificos what the tortillas think?

Speaking of pimentos, just how do they grow olives with pimentos in them? It's always been a mystery. And then the next question is: why?

Ian

I prefer my olives stuffed with little cloves of garlic or blue cheese.... the ones with an almond stuck in there are pretty good too.