Pairing Food With Extra Virgin Olive Oil : An Expert Guide

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Science Promotes Health Benefits Combining Olive Oil And Lemon Juice

Updated November 17th 2022

Health Benefits Of Lemons And Olive Oil
Health Benefits Of Lemons And Olive Oil

Combining the best extra virgin olive oil with lemon juice may have exponential health benefits, according to scientific research.

As explored recently on Yahoo.com, the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil are amplified when combined with the nutritional benefits of lemon juice.

Lemon juice and olive oil are two of the most popular healthy ingredients around, and for good reason. Combined, they offer a host of health benefits that can help improve your overall well-being. Let’s take a closer look at some of the science behind this lemon-olive oil combination.

Olive Oil, Lemons and Antioxidants

Lemon juice is packed with Vitamin C, which is essential for a healthy immune system. As summarised by Yahoo:

 Lemons are an excellent source of plant compounds called flavonoids, which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Antioxidants are natural substances that help protect the body’s cells from damage. By keeping cell damage in check, antioxidants may help reduce the overall risk of many health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. These powerful compounds do this by eliminating free radicals — the harmful, disease-causing intruders created by oxidative stress. Flavonoids from lemon can also help reduce inflammation in the body (and as mentioned earlier, chronic inflammation is a major marker for many illnesses).

Yahoo.com

Olive oil, on the other hand, is rich in antioxidants and healthy fats. When these two substances are combined, they create a powerhouse duo that can do everything from improve your skin health to reduce inflammation.

In addition, lemon juice and olive oil can also help boost your metabolism and promote weight loss. One study showed that subjects who consumed this combination daily for three months lost significantly more weight than those who did not consume the lemon-olive oil combo. So, if you’re looking to shed a few pounds, consider adding lemon juice and olive oil to your diet.

Is It Safe To Combine Olive Oil And Lemon Juice?

It is absolutely safe to combine olive oil and lemon juice. In fact, it is a hugely popular food combination, found especially in Mediterranean regions.

Note: If you experience a negative reaction, such as allergies, after consuming olive oil and lemon juice, consult a healthcare professional.

Other Food Pairing ChoicesWith The Best Olive Oil

Whether it’s with lemons or not, finding a nutritional pairing partner for your bottle of quality olive oil is a great way to keep your diet healthy, tasty and interesting.

Extra virgin olive oil is a staple of the Mediterranean diet and can be used in a variety of ways. Whether you’re drizzling it over a salad or using it to cook, the best extra virgin olive oil can make all the difference. But what if you’re not sure how to pair it with other ingredients?

Here are a few tips on how to pair your Extra Virgin Olive Oil well:

  • Use a high-quality olive oil for salads. Look for an oil that is cold-pressed and has a fruity aroma. Cold-pressed olive oil also has an abundance of health benefits.
  • For cooked dishes, choose an olive oil that has a milder flavor and a more robust flavour when pairing it with meat dishes. This will allow the other flavors in the dish to shine through.
  • When pairing olive oil with vinegar, use a ratio of three parts oil to one part vinegar. This will help to balance the acidity of the vinegar.
  • Use fresh herbs to add flavor to your dish. Popular choices include basil, oregano, and thyme.

By following these tips, you can create delicious Mediterranean-inspired dishes that are full of flavor. And don’t forget to experiment – there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to cooking with olive oil. So go ahead and experiment until you find the perfect pairing for your next meal!

The Versatility Of Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Extra Virgin Olive Oil For Popular Diets
Extra Virgin Olive Oil For Popular Diets

At Morocco Gold, we talk a lot about the versatility of Extra Virgin Olive Oil – proven by how the best olive oil can be paired with a variety of different foods.  But, like anything in life, it helps to take some tips from those in the know and a new report from oliveoiltimes.com is a great place to start.

As explained in the article (and by our team here), the flavour and health benefits of extra virgin olive oil depend on several factors.

Extra virgin olive oil is the highest quality, best extra virgin olive oil you can get. Genuine extra virgin olive oil is rare and as a result is slightly more expensive.

The chemical characteristics of extra virgin olive oil (as with all vegetable oils) give an indication of the care with which it was made and stored: how the fruit was grown, transported and harvested, how it was pressed into oil, and how the oil was packaged and bottled. Stringent chemical analysis also helps to determine if the oil is adulterated in any way. The chemical standards for extra virgin olive oil are the highest of all the grades and, as such, offer a guarantee of quality.

What makes the best olive oil the perfect match in Mediterranean Diet food pairing?

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Is An ‘Elegant’ Choice For Fish

Speaking in The Olive Oil Times, Luca Collami, a chef at the Michelin-starred Grand Hotel di Arenzano, in Italy’s north-western Liguria region said:

“If we talk about Mediterranean cuisine, extra virgin olive oil is an absolutely essential ingredient, an active part of it.  That means that if you are cooking meat or cooking fish, you are very probably using significantly different EVOOs,” he added.

Collami, who is the first Michelin-star holder in Genoa, also infuses his extra virgin olive oils with a variety of herbs and spices to enhance his fish-based dishes.

“When you have a high-quality EVOO, such as ours, and, for instance, you want to have at your disposition an olive oil with a very noticeable note of basil, you can prepare it yourself and obtain the best results,” he said.

Pairing Extra Virgin Olive With Meat Dishes

Extra Virgin Olive Oil With Meat
Extra Virgin Olive Oil With Meat

According to The Olive Oil Times, chefs tend to prefer extra virgin olive oils with a more robust profile and distinctive notes when cooking meat.Grilled meat can also call for a less intense EVOO to enhance the original taste without smothering it.

“In our tradition, we do not need anything else, a grilled cut is perfectly dressed by a high-quality olive oil,” Antonella Scatigna, chef at the Taverna del Duca, a well-known restaurant in Locorotondo, not far from Bari in Puglia, told Olive Oil Times.

Only The Best Olive Oil Will Do

At Morocco Gold, we agree that for preparing delicious cuts of meats, which require more robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil, quality remains paramount.

Morocco Gold comes from a single source, from the Beni-Mellal region of Morocco. The olives are harvested by hand, early in the season, whilst the fruit is still young and green. The olives are handled with care and attention throughout the harvesting and pressing process to ensure that only the best olives are used for Morocco Gold.

Uniquely, we include the results of our chemical analysis for acidity, peroxide, and ultraviolet testing on each-and-every bottle of Morocco Gold so that our customers can see at a glance the guarantee of extra virgin olive oil quality.

Morocco Gold comes from the Picholine Marrocaine olive, which is characterised by its green, fruity flavour, with hints of almond and herbs. It is the high level of polyphenols that give Morocco Gold its health enhancing qualities as well as its taste.

It does not have the ‘aggressive’ pungency of some extra virgin olive oils, giving Morocco Gold a well-balanced and satisfying finish. This also makes Morocco Gold highly versatile in how it can be used, either taken directly, dipping with bread, drizzling over salads, sautéing vegetables, the uses are limitless.  

As Antonella Scatigna explains: “If you have an extra virgin olive oil which was not correctly [made] nor high quality as you expected, then it will ruin all your dishes. And vice versa, a high-quality EVOO can literally give a new dimension to a simple spaghetti serving.”

“You use it to cook some garlic, then a little chili pepper and pour on it some raw EVOO and there you go with a great spaghetti serving,” she added. “We use it for legumes as well, for soups and it is also the only fat we use for our desserts.”

According to The Olive Oil Times, chefs tend to prefer extra virgin olive oils with a more robust profile and distinctive notes when cooking meat.Grilled meat can also call for a less intense EVOO to enhance the original taste without smothering it.

“In our tradition, we do not need anything else, a grilled cut is perfectly dressed by a high-quality olive oil,” Antonella Scatigna, chef at the Taverna del Duca, a well-known restaurant in Locorotondo, not far from Bari in Puglia, told Olive Oil Times.

Only The Best Olive Oil Will Do For Food Pairing

At Morocco Gold, we agree that for preparing delicious cuts of meats, which require more robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil, quality remains paramount.

Morocco Gold comes from a single source, from the Beni-Mellal region of Morocco. The olives are harvested by hand, early in the season, whilst the fruit is still young and green. The olives are handled with care and attention throughout the harvesting and pressing process to ensure that only the best olives are used for Morocco Gold.

Uniquely, we include the results of our chemical analysis for acidity, peroxide, and ultraviolet testing on each-and-every bottle of Morocco Gold so that our customers can see at a glance the guarantee of extra virgin olive oil quality.

Morocco Gold comes from the Picholine Marrocaine olive, which is characterised by its green, fruity flavour, with hints of almond and herbs. It is the high level of polyphenols that give Morocco Gold its health enhancing qualities as well as its taste.

It does not have the ‘aggressive’ pungency of some extra virgin olive oils, giving Morocco Gold a well-balanced and satisfying finish. This also makes Morocco Gold highly versatile in how it can be used, either taken directly, dipping with bread, drizzling over salads, sautéing vegetables, the uses are limitless.  

As Antonella Scatigna explains: “If you have an extra virgin olive oil which was not correctly [made] nor high quality as you expected, then it will ruin all your dishes. And vice versa, a high-quality EVOO can literally give a new dimension to a simple spaghetti serving.”

“You use it to cook some garlic, then a little chili pepper and pour on it some raw EVOO and there you go with a great spaghetti serving,” she added. “We use it for legumes as well, for soups and it is also the only fat we use for our desserts.”

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