Extra virgin olive oil is the main condiment of Mediterranean cuisine, preferred over butter, margarine and lard for its precious
beneficial properties. It's a
good, healthy fat, rich in monounsaturated fatty acids as well as antioxidants and vitamin E. Used in moderation as part of your diet, extra virgin olive oil helps keep
cholesterol in check and
protect the heart.
But what's the best way to consume it?
Is oil better cooked or raw?
It's widely believed that consuming
extra virgin oil raw is the best way to keep its extraordinary nutritional properties intact. But this is only partly true. In fact, an important study conducted by the
University of Naples Federico II found that extra virgin olive oil, when cooked and combined with certain foods, is actually able to release its
antioxidant potential even better. A perfect pairing, for example, is exactly that of tomato sauce dressed with extra virgin olive oil.
When used raw, oil expresses the fullest of its bitter-peppery character thanks to the presence of
antioxidants so precious for health, while during cooking it tends to lose some of that due to chemical processes like the hydrolysis of complex phenols — the breakdown of more complex antioxidant substances into simpler ones that are easier for the body to absorb.
With
cooking, antioxidants are only partly lost, and the fragrant, grassy and fruity aromas turn into subtler scents.
Oil pairings in the kitchen
Paired with specific foods and depending on the type of cooking,
using oil in the kitchen can create a genuine alchemy of flavors.
With
frying, sautéing and stewing, extra virgin olive oil dissolves many of the aromas until it forms a tasty crust. In sauces, on the other hand, oil gives the dish viscosity and creaminess.
As we mentioned, an ideal and typical pairing in Mediterranean cuisine is that of
oil and tomato: a combination that works even better with the heat of cooking, which keeps the tomato's noble properties intact, making it fully absorbable by the digestive system.
Once again, the study conducted by the University of Naples Federico II found that even prolonged cooking of
sauce or ragù increases the antioxidant activity of the
tomato sauce. An effect that, by contrast, doesn't occur when seed oil is used for the sauce.
Feel like making a nice plate of spaghetti? We recommend making it with tomato sauce using our
denocciolato extra virgin olive oil, both cooked and raw. Cooked, to maximize the antioxidant properties of the carotenoids, and raw, adding a drizzle of oil, to delight yourself with the grassy, fruity scent of the aromatic antioxidants.
