Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil

My book choice in the Food category for the 2021 NONFICTION READER CHALLENGE is Extra Virginity: The sublime and scandalous world of olive oil, by Tom Mueller, 2012.

The book is an overview of the history of olive oil: where it has been grown, how it has been produced; what it has been used for; and its cultural significance through the ages. Much of the book, however, is about the adulteration and fraud involved in olive oil production. He writes:

“Olive oil is one of the most frequently adulterated food products in the EU; within Europe, the problem is particularly acute in Italy, the leading importer, consumer, and exporter of olive oil and the hub of the world olive oil trade.”

The fraud involves mixing olive oil with other types of oil, but packaging it as “extra virgin” olive oil. From the packaging, it seems, it is difficult to know if the product is pure. Mueller gives information about how to taste – and test – olive oil in order to know if it’s the genuine, unadulterated product. I found this section to be particularly useful, and since reading the book I conduct my own taste tests, preferably in the shop before I buy any. There is also information about the many different types of olive oil, with descriptions of their differences and their tastes.

The book has an appendix, “Choosing Good Oil,” which gives pages of tips that help you navigate your way through the path to finding pure, excellent olive oil. Unfortunately, the author’s website with information about olive oil which is listed there no longer exists. Other websites are listed, though, that lead not only to further information, but also to names of shops and companies around the world that provide olive oil that can be trusted to be the genuine article.