Olive oil is at the heart of the Aegean cuisine. However, the variety we encounter on supermarket shelves or online stores can sometimes be confusing. “Should I buy early harvest?”, “What does cold-pressed mean?”, “Which one is for salad, which one is for cooking?”
At Nouriva, we consider it our duty not only to offer the highest quality products, but also to guide you in getting the most out of them. Here are the golden rules for choosing the right olive oil for your taste and cooking habits, and for storing it to keep it as fresh as the day you bought it.
Decision Moment: Which Character Reflects You?
Choosing olive oil is like choosing perfume; it is personal and varies depending on the intended use. Let us help you decide by comparing the two stars of the Nouriva collection:
1. For those who say, “I want to savour the aroma”: MEMECİK
If you see olive oil not just as a cooking ingredient but as a “spice” or “sauce”, then Memecik, the jewel of the South Aegean, should definitely be your choice.
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Best Use: On top of olives at breakfast, in tomato salad, as a finishing touch to grilled meat.
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Why? With its high polyphenol content and intense fruity flavour, it adds character to whatever you eat.
2. For those who say, “Don’t spoil the taste of your food, enhance its flavour”: AYVALIK / EDREMİT
If you say, “I use olive oil because it’s healthy, but I don’t like its overpowering smell,” or if you’re cooking delicate fish, your destination should be the naive beauty of the Northern Aegean, Ayvalık/Edremit.
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Best for: Hot pot dishes, rice dishes, olive oil stuffed vegetables and steamed fish.
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Why? With its soft and buttery texture, it envelops the food without ever overpowering it.
The Mark of Quality: Why is “Cold Pressed” Important?
The “Cold Press” label you will see on Nouriva bottles is not a marketing slogan, but a health guarantee. It means that the olive paste is processed below 27 degrees. If the temperature rises, more oil is extracted, but the valuable vitamins and antioxidants are destroyed. We do not compromise on quality for quantity. That is why every drop in our bottles contains 100% of nature’s healing properties.
The 3 Biggest Enemies of Olive Oil
Even if you buy the best olive oil in the world, it will quickly become ordinary or even spoil if stored under the wrong conditions. To protect olive oil, you must keep it away from these three enemies:
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Light: Sunlight oxidises the chlorophyll in the oil, spoiling both its colour and taste. That is why we offer Nouriva olive oils in dark-coloured glass bottles or tins that block out light.
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Heat: Never keep your olive oil bottle on the counter right next to the stove. Cooking heat will alter the structure of the oil inside the bottle. A cool, dark cupboard is its best friend.
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Air (Oxygen): Leaving the bottle cap open causes the oil to go rancid. Make it a habit to close the cap tightly after use.
Conclusion: Variety is Good in the Kitchen
Professional chefs never have just one type of oil in their kitchen. Our recommendation is to make room for both types in your kitchen. While you can cook delicious olive oil-based beans with one, you can create layers of flavour by drizzling the other (Memecik) over the salad on your serving plate.
Nouriva invites you to discover both the wild and tranquil sides of the Aegean.
