Evo Oil: Meaning of an Extra Experience

Producing a good olive oil requires a certain know-how. Recognizing it is no less important.

When we buy olive oil, our choice is influenced by what we read on the bottle label: extra virgin olive oil, or more simply EVO.

A distinctive choice in Italian cuisine, but one that now appeals to an increasingly international audience. In short, the extra virgin quality of the oil echoes words such as excellence, purity, and uniqueness: an essential guide for lovers of fine Mediterranean gastronomy and beyond.

But what do we really know about extra virgin olive oil?

We need to understand that not all olive oil is the same. There are different types, which also differ according to their production processes. Just think of pomace oil, extracted from the waste material of the extraction process — stone, pulp, and peel — or simpler olive oil, which is the result of blending refined oil, meaning oil that has undergone a chemical or physical process to remove defects, with virgin oil.

Yes, virgin olive oil exists too. Virgin, but not extra.

When we talk about EVO, in fact, things are quite different.

Let’s start with the name. The acronym EVO, coined by agronomist Stefano Epifani to highlight its quality and mark its distinction from other types of oil, offers a unique tasting and sensory experience that involves everyone, experts and beginners alike.

Virgin olive oil and EVO share only one thing: both are extracted from the first pressing of the olives.

While extra virgin olive oil is processed exclusively by mechanical means, without the addition of additives, and immediately bottled, virgin olive oil undergoes further processing steps and loses some of its qualities.

To be precise, the acidity percentage also makes a difference. In EVO oil, it must not exceed 0.8%, while its virgin relative can reach up to 2% acidity.

Calculating FFA, or Free Fatty Acidity, meaning the amount of free fatty acids contained in 100g of oil, is a strictly scientific analysis that highlights the health status of the oil and therefore its commercial classification.

Alongside this parameter, there is a second one of no lesser importance: organoleptic analysis. This is normally carried out by a team of official tasters, but anyone can test the quality of EVO oil using the most common human senses: smell and taste.

We can all agree, experts or not, that fragrance is a sign of something good. And EVO oil is fragrant.

The bouquet of aromas it releases is so distinctive that it is a key sign of its properties. The round notes of Tonda Iblea, the gentle delicacy of Moresca, and the robustness of Nocellara create a sensory magic that makes EVO oil worthy of its name.

Last but not least, tasting. To determine the quality of the oil, our taste buds must necessarily detect its spiciness and bitterness. Two apparently contrasting notes that create a harmonious and beneficial balance, as they are decisive proof of the richness of the antioxidant properties of extra virgin olive oil.

All this makes EVO oil the best of its kind, unique and unmistakable, or perhaps more simply… Extra.

Try it to believe it. We invite you to visit us at our olive mill to discover all the secrets of extra virgin olive oil and immerse yourself in a sensory experience with our four Favola varieties.