Mediterranean Cuisine | Episode 1 – Olive Oil

People who develop the habit of a conscient Mediterranean nutrition have been shown to have a remarkable variety of health benefits.

It has been argued that if there is one single component in the Med diet responsible for these health benefits or more, but for a fact, it has to be a combination of its number one ingredient, olive oil, and meals that are high in vegetables, fruits, and fish.

One thing is sure, the olive oil in Mediterranean cuisine can quickly satisfy hunger and leads to fewer total calories ingested at mealtime, no matter the rest of the ingredients chosen for use.

Fresh fished wild Gild-head bream on the grill, with lemon, parsley, and olive oil with oregano spice prepared at Aghios Nikolaos village, Lakonia, Greece, Summer 2021.

Fresh pressed olive oil can be eaten immediately and retains the natural flavors, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other healthy products of the ripe olive fruit as provided by mother nature, literally untouched by the human hand.

Thanks to the internet, the last couple of decades has played a vital role for people across the world to agree and acknowledge that lowering total fat and calories in your diet, can be achieved effortlessly by substituting butter, margarine, and tropical oils with healthy fats like olive oil.

“Effortlessly”, said because, despite the fact it is usual to connect less fat with less taste, the use of olive oil lies more on the side of upgrading the taste of your meals, and creating stronger eating experiences that move one’s feelings beyond satisfaction, to unprecedented bliss.       

One can safely say that the rapid increase in the popularity of the Mediterranean diet may be credited to the internet, but the solidity of its ongoing dominancy amongst all eating styles that advocate health owes its existence to the salient presence of olive oil in its list of ingredients for more than 7.000 years! (A special article on the amazing history of the olive tree is soon to be published so yes, stay tuned). 

Hippocrates, whose oath is taken by physicians and medical school graduates around the world, the father of medicine, referred to olive oil as “the great healer.”

No wonder why the Greek poet Homer who has written about the journey of heroes like Hercules and Ulysses across the Mediterranean isles and coasts, called it “liquid gold”.

However, not all olive oil is of equal quality and nutritional value. Most of the health benefits associated with olive oil actually belong to extra virgin olive oil aka EVOO.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is one of the VERY few oils out there that is edible without chemical processing (almost every other vegetable oil has been detoxified and refined with solvents before hitting the markets). Add that according to countless testimonies from the best chefs around the world, EVOO is the tastiest oil and you have the whole picture.

Meditteranean cuisine without olive oil is like the sun without light. Not an option!

Feel free to comment below and share your Mediterranean-style cooking experiments with us!

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