Olive oil in cooking
It's practical to think of olive oil in two categories: an everyday oil for cooking and a higher-quality oil used cold, as a finishing touch or supplement.
Two ways to use olive oil
It's practical to think of olive oil in two categories: an everyday oil for cooking and a higher-quality oil used cold, as a finishing touch or supplement.
A milder extra virgin olive oil works excellently for frying at moderate temperatures. An oil with high polyphenol content and a pronounced taste, on the other hand, is best used without heat, where the flavour and content can truly shine.
Can you fry with olive oil?
Yes. Extra virgin olive oil has a smoke point of around 190–215°C, which is sufficient for most cooking methods in a home kitchen. Frying vegetables, fish or eggs in olive oil is entirely unproblematic.
What does happen at high temperatures, however, is that some of the polyphenols and volatile aromatic compounds break down. This doesn't affect safety, but it does mean you lose some of the qualities that distinguish a higher-quality oil.
Use a good oil cold
An olive oil with high polyphenol content and a distinct flavour profile does its best work as a finishing touch. Drizzle it over salad, grilled food, pasta, soup or fish just before serving. The taste, aroma and nutritional value are best preserved at low temperature or with no heat at all.
Many people also take a tablespoon neat as a daily supplement. It's a simple way to take the oil regularly without having to plan it into every meal.
Common questions
Can I deep-fry in olive oil? You can, but it's not the most economical choice. At frying temperatures (170–180°C) the oil holds up reasonably well, but loses more of its beneficial compounds than at lower temperatures.
Should I throw the oil away if it smokes? If the oil reaches its smoke point (starts smoking heavily) it has got too hot. Turn down the heat. If it only happens briefly you don't need to discard it, but avoid regularly heating the oil to that point.
Which oil should I use for what? A good rule of thumb: use a simpler olive oil for cooking and an oil with high polyphenol content for everything served cold or at room temperature.