What's cookin', good lookin'?

It's not the most pronounceable word in the pantry—we'll give you that. But hydroxytyrosol might just be one of the most important compounds in your diet. It’s also the reason why the scientists and nutritionists who really know their olive oil get a little obsessive about it. This article was written in partnership with Erin Ridley—a certified olive oil sommelier, as well as a former producer, sensory panelist, and competition judge. Originally from California, she is now based in Madrid, S...

Ever taken a swig of extra virgin olive oil and felt that peppery burn at the back of your throat that makes you cough? Most people assume that's a flaw, and that smooth, mild oil is the mark of quality. It's not. That throat-tickling sensation is oleocanthal announcing its presence, and this compound has researchers rather excited. This article was written in partnership with Erin Ridley—a certified olive oil sommelier, as well as a former producer, sensory panelist, and competition judge....

The vibe is cool, and it has all the seemingly right buzzwords, but then you scratch your head and wonder: is it actually high-quality olive oil? Or just a nice packaging? How’s one to know? You’re probably familiar with this experience: you followed an olive oil business (like, let’s say, Citizens of Soil) and now every time you go on Instagram, you’re getting served up an ad for a new, easy-on-the-eyes olive oil brand. So today, we want to address the elephant in the olive oil-filled room...

Spicy, peppery, pungent—these are all words that can be used to describe extra virgin olive oil. That tingling feeling is an indicator of the polyphenol content of the oil. And like all health related buzz-words, ‘polyphenol’ is getting a lot of airtime right now, on podcasts and in the papers. So we wanted to give you the low-down on what spicy really means for olive oil, straight from an informed professional.  This article was written by Alexis Kerner, a leading international olive oil e...