Olive Oil in the Kitchen – Myths and Truths
Olive Oil in the Kitchen – Myths and Truths
By 8:26 Histories - Charilaos Gounaras
Hardly any food is surrounded by as many half-truths as olive oil. "Not suitable for frying," "loses all its healthy properties when heated," "becomes bitter when cooked" – these statements persistently circulate in cookbooks, kitchens, and social media. It's time to examine them.
Myth 1: "You shouldn't heat olive oil – it becomes unhealthy."
The truth: Extra virgin olive oil is one of the most heat-stable cooking oils available.
The crucial value is the smoke point – the temperature at which an oil begins to smoke, producing harmful compounds. For extra virgin olive oil, depending on quality, it ranges between 180 and 210 degrees Celsius. This is sufficient for almost all everyday cooking applications: sautéing, steaming, stewing, and even light frying.
For comparison: butter smokes at around 150 degrees. Refined vegetable oils may have a higher smoke point – but they offer neither polyphenols nor flavor.
What actually happens when heated: Some of the volatile aromatic compounds evaporate, and the polyphenol content slightly decreases. But the oil does not become unhealthy – it remains a high-quality, stable fat that is good for the body.
Myth 2: "All healthy ingredients are lost when frying with olive oil."
The truth: A large portion of the valuable ingredients remains even when heated.
Studies show that the high proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids – especially oleic acid – is very thermally stable. Olive oil oxidizes significantly slower when heated than polyunsaturated oils like sunflower or rapeseed oil. The natural antioxidants in olive oil – including polyphenols – act as a protective shield: they slow down oxidation and make the oil more heat-resistant than many other options.
Conclusion: Anyone who cooks with good olive oil still benefits from its positive properties even when frying.
Myth 3: "Olive oil becomes bitter when cooked."
The truth: The opposite is true – heat mellows the bitterness.
The natural bitterness and pungency of a high-quality olive oil come from its polyphenols – precisely those substances that are so healthy. When heated, some of these evaporate, making the taste rounder and milder. So, if you want to experience the full aromatic intensity of a good oil, you should enjoy it raw – over carpaccio, on fresh bread, as a finish over a dish.
It is still excellent for cooking – it adds depth and a distinctive character to dishes that cannot be achieved with any other oil.
Myth 4: "Cheap olive oil is fine for cooking – the difference doesn't matter when heated anyway."
The truth: Quality makes a difference, even in the pan.
Inferior olive oil often contains oxidized fatty acids, residues from industrial processing, and hardly any polyphenols even before heating. It is less stable, smokes earlier, and does not transfer positive ingredients to the food.
A high-quality extra virgin olive oil like ours – with a polyphenol content of 500 to 700 mg/kg and an acidity well below the legal limit – is also the better oil in the pan. More stable, more aromatic, healthier.
Myth 5: "Olive oil is only suitable for Mediterranean cuisine."
The truth: Olive oil is one of the most versatile oils in the world.
It refines Asian wok dishes, gives German mashed potatoes a velvety texture, makes baked goods juicier, and salads more vibrant. The world's kitchens have long discovered olive oil – not as an exotic ingredient, but as a universal talent.
And anyone who has ever drizzled good olive oil raw over warm pasta immediately understands why Mediterranean cuisine has sworn by it for millennia.
The Golden Rule
For raw enjoyment – as a dip, dressing, or finish – always use the best oil you have. This is where the full aroma and health benefits are most potent.
For cooking and frying, extra virgin olive oil is also the first choice – it is more stable than its reputation suggests and surpasses most alternatives in taste and nutritional profile.
In short: there's no reason to ban olive oil from the kitchen. There's only reason to choose a better one. 🫒
8:26 Histories Charilaos Gounaras – Premium Olive Oils from Evia. More at