MAVENS

Why is it so difficult to find regular olive oil? Wouldn't one think that "regular" olive oil would cost less than "extra virgin"? After all, the "regular" is produced after the pressings for EVOO (I'll use that term for "extra virgin olive oil" in the remainder of this text), but the regular costs just as much--and sometimes more--than the EVOO.

Try to find regular olive oil. I was in Big Lots and there were thirteen different brands or sizes of olive oil and all were labeled EVOO. I know that a great number of oils labeled "EVOO" are not truly "extra virgin"; that's why I buy the ones listed as legitimate by Consumer's Report. Read the article from NPR about fraudulent EVOO HERE.

As I wrote in my BLOG article EVOO (see here), we use a lot of olive oil and we faithfully follow the guidelines for the proper use of EVOO versus regular olive oil as we have learned from Dr. Oz, Martha, and other cooking mavens.

Les said, "Maybe you should buy one of those cheaper ones labeled EVOO; it should serve well as regular oil." I said, "We have no idea what is in those."

I went to Kroger and, guess what? They have twenty-seven brands and sizes of olive oil and only two of them are just plain olive oil and one was "light" olive oil; the remainder are EVOO. I am grateful that Aldi's now has regular olive oil alongside the EVOO.