4 Rules for Buying the Best Olive Oil
Don't worry: if it's Greek, it's all good.
Do you want to buy the world’s best olive oil? That’s easy: forget Italy, Spain and Trader Joe’s. The best olive oil in the world, simply put, is where olive harvests began: in Greece. I repeat: the best olive oil is Greek olive oil.
Premium oils often come from single-variety olives like Koroneiki or Kalamata, harvested early for higher polyphenol content and richer flavor profiles. Olive oils rich in polyphenols tend to deliver the hallmark bitterness and peppery finish prized in gourmet extra virgin olive oil. Here are a few other considerations for your rules-bases olive oil purchases:
1. Look for PDO/PGI Certification
PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) or PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) means the oil comes from a specific region with strict quality standards.
Famous PDO regions: Kalamata, Crete (Kolymvari, Sitia), Lakonia, Lesvos.
2. Check the Olive Variety
Greece’s most prized variety is Koroneiki, known for balanced flavor, fruitiness, and high antioxidants.
Other notable varieties: Manaki, Athinolia, Throumbolia.
3. Go for Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Must have ≤0.8% acidity and no sensory defects.
Look for "cold-pressed" or "first cold extraction" – means no heat or chemicals were used.
4. Packaging Matters
Dark glass bottles or tins protect from light and oxidation.
Avoid clear plastic bottles – they degrade quality quickly.
5. Harvest & Best-Before Date
Harvest date is more important than "best before."
Fresher oils (within the last year’s harvest) have stronger flavor and higher antioxidants.
6. Flavor Profile
High-quality Greek olive oil should taste fresh, grassy, fruity, and peppery (that peppery tickle at the back of your throat is a good sign).
If it tastes flat, greasy, or rancid, it’s poor quality.
7. Where to Buy
In Greece: buy from local cooperatives, small family producers, or farmers’ markets.
Outside Greece: specialty Mediterranean stores, online shops focusing on artisanal imports, or Greek brands with PDO certification (like Terra Creta, Iliada, Gaea, Hellenic Grocery).
Avoid generic supermarket “Mediterranean blend” oils – often lower quality.