Zoe, Organic Extra Virgin Oil Olive, 25.5 Ounce

So...Americans suffer a sad dearth of real olive oil. Oh, you can buy ‘olive oil’ everywhere, but if you look into it, you’ll find basically all of the ‘big’ supermarket brands are...well, not pure. They’re diluted with other kinds of oil (as in not lesser GRADES of olive, but other SPECIES, like soybean/grapeseed/etc oil) and if they’re NOT adulterated, they’re not actually extra virgin but rather a lesser grade labeled extra virgin. The FDA basically does not police this because olive oil mixed with say, soybean oil, won’t make you sick, and that’s what they ‘care’ about. You’re not being harmed, just cheated. Well, in my book, that’s still ‘harm’. Plus, we ARE being harmed because so many people are trying to use olive oil for its health benefits...but getting the health benefits is contingent on eating ACTUAL OLIVE OIL. So we’re not getting the healthy effects and we might actually be hurting ourselves. Besides, I just don’t like a dirty cheater. It matters to me. Now, there are only a couple ways to know FOR SURE your oil is 100% legit, which is basically to produce it yourself or be friends with whoever is. Even chemical testing can be faked. But one of the best ways to self-test it is to taste it. We Americans have been bamboozled with this light, neutral-tasting oil, which I admit I like. REAL extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), as it turns out, is strange to the American palate. It can be fairly BITTER, and has a distinctive peppery taste at the back of your tongue when you swallow it that might actually make you cough depending on the batch! This is the result of various chemical compounds present in the real deal and NOT a sign of bad/rancid/cheap oil. But folks: if you do NOT get any of this pepperiness, it’s a bad sign. Zoe brand provides this slightly bitter taste/peppery aftertaste. It’s very noticeable and again, you might have to ‘make’ yourself eat it at first. That’s the taste of health and longevity!!! Amazon is able to supply this product at a great price, considering real EVOO is generally expensive. Yes, this LOOKS spendy compared to Fillippo Berio or Bertolli or whatever, but that stuff is not ‘real’. A block of real Parmagiano-Reggiano is pricier than the powder stuff in the green jar we all know, but newsflash: that stuff isn’t pure either. Look at the ingredient list. See ‘cellulose’...? That’s the nice way of saying ‘wood pulp’!!! We are all being hornswoggled! You want the real stuff, right? You’re eating it because you heard it was good for you. EVOO actually made out of olives IS good for you. Zoe makes several products in various sizes-they make a non-organic EVOO, this organic EVOO, and a ‘kid’s’ EVOO that is less bitter/peppery. I have tried all three. The kid version IS still bitter/peppery but SIGNIFICANTLY less so, so if you’re scared, start with that product. I don’t personally taste difference between the ‘adult’ versions, I just prefer USDA certified organic when possible (one of the few ‘green’ labels that has legal force)so I buy that. The conventional version is less pricey though. I have the organic and kids’ version on subscription, because frankly sometimes I’m using it for a dish where super-peppery is undesirable. I appreciate the quality of the Zoe product and the stellar price Amazon offers. For an eye-opening read, buy the book ‘Extra Virginity’ by a guy named Mueller (no, another Mueller). It’s a great history of olive oil as well as an expose on the prevalence of fraud in the EVOO industry. Eye opening and absolutely infuriating. Even if you think the health claim is hippie BS, you want what you paid for, right? If you were sold beef tenderloin at x dollars and it turned out to be cat meat worth y dollars, I’d want to be refunded, whether cat steaks turn out to be delicious or not (I’m sure they’re not, but you get what I’m driving at). Buy ‘Extra Virginity’ and some REAL EVOO!!!

I was looking for the best extra virgin olive oil and this was recommended on many sites. It is a very good oil but it was much smaller than I thought. It was gone in a couple of weeks. I decided to go back to Costco extra virgin organic olive oil. It is good and more reasonably priced. If you don’t mind the price, this is a very good oil. I did have some problems with the can being drippy.

Great product. I love that it is in a can instead of bottle. It is completely protected from light.

I had no problem with the opening and I can be very non-mechanical, weak and clutZy. I thought it was intelligently designed. Can't understand all the whining about the spout. More importantly this was a much better olive oil than I expected. I usually get one of the expensive grocery store brands but not gourmet shop imports so its within this range I'm reviewing. And for that level and those comparables this is excellant. My main purpose is cooking and I cook lots of things in EVOO that used to be cooked in butter and now is a mix of the two. I also finish with it (on top of various finished dishes). But the real test to me is how it is in a simple vinaigrette and this took me back to years ago and the lovely flavor or real dressings. It's not world class and I'm not spending that kind of money for daily cooking. But compared to the names we all know and love from the local market's best selections, this is better.

First, most people aren't very knowledgeable about olive oils. Do some research and you will find, bitter is better as it is a sign of a high-quality oil. But like wine, people have personal preference. If you also research Olive Oil Ratings / Taste Tests you'll find a couple "supermarket" brands consistently highly rated. California Olive Farms is one of them (no, your oil doesn't have to be from Italy or Spain to be good.) This is another one that turns up as highly ranked in taste tests (although not as often as California Olive Farms.) I've tasted many oils and currently have in my pantry the Spanish Olive Oil from Trader Joes which has no bitterness but is decent and good for cooking, the California Olive Farms Arbosana (not the Destination Blend or Everyday) which is robust with a lot of bitterness, and I just got this one which actually falls in between the two, with slight bitterness and good flavor but not quite as bland as the Trader Joes used for cooking. This would make a good "all purpose" olive oil for cooking, drizzling, dipping. If you are going to drizzle or dip I'd recommend going with a higher quality oil though and pay a little more. The reviews commenting on how small the tin it comes in gave me a good laugh. Apparently many people don't know how much an ounce is (25.5 ounces to be specific.) Seems everyone wants something for practically nothing these days. This is a great value (not a "steal", for this quality of oil.) Little tip: just think of a can of soda or beer is 12 ounces and go from there. This is "2 soda cans" of olive oil, not a gallon tin to perform an oil change on your car with. The California

Very tasty olive oil

There are a lot of fancy virgin olive oils around for a lot more price, but this oil has now been a staple in my kitchen for nine years. It has a mild flavor so I can use it for just about anything I make. The quality has been consistent over the years. The size of the can is small enough and I use enough of it (Mediterranean diet!) that I don't find it requires decanting as the can empties. I have learned how to handle the spout without any problems. It is easy to keep the container clean. The can is cheerful with its bright colors. The price is reasonable, especially since Amazon has it in its subscribe and save program--although the discount is less now for buyers than it was when I first started buying it from Amazon. Nothing pretentious, just a really good and reliable olive oil.

Fresh aroma .. nice taste