Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Pakistan: The Complete Guide

Extra virgin olive oil is the juice of fresh olives, separated from the fruit mechanically without heat or chemicals and not refined afterwards. That’s the whole definition, and everything that makes it worth paying for (the flavour, the antioxidants, the heart benefits) follows from it. This guide covers what it is, how to tell the grades apart in a Pakistani shop, and where to find more detail on each question.

The grades of olive oil

What’s printed on the bottle matters more than the brand or the colour.

• Extra virgin olive oil. The top grade: mechanically extracted, unrefined, with free acidity of no more than 0.8%, and it has to pass a tasting panel with no defects. It carries the most flavour and the most polyphenols.
• Virgin olive oil. Also unrefined, but with slightly higher acidity or minor flavour defects. Rarely sold in Pakistan.
• “Pure”, “light” or plain “olive oil”. Mostly refined olive oil, heated and deodorised, with a little virgin oil added back for colour and taste. It is neutral and cheaper, with few antioxidants.
• Pomace olive oil. Extracted with solvents from the paste left over after pressing, then refined. It is widely sold in Pakistan for cooking and massage. It is a legitimate product, but it is not what people mean when they talk about the benefits of olive oil.

How it’s made

Olives are picked, washed and crushed into a paste, stirred slowly so the oil droplets gather, then spun to separate the oil from water and pulp. When this happens below 27°C it can be called cold extracted or cold pressed. The sooner after harvest it happens, the fresher the oil. Our olive oil is pressed within hours of harvest. For the full process and how it differs from refining, read cold-pressed vs regular olive oil.

Choosing a genuine bottle

Smell and taste tell you more than any other home test: fresh, green, a little bitter, peppery in the throat. Then check the label for the words extra virgin, a date and a named producer, and be suspicious of a price close to ordinary cooking oil. Everything is explained in how to tell if olive oil is real. For what each grade typically costs here, see olive oil price in Pakistan.

Using it

Extra virgin olive oil is fine for everyday cooking at medium heat, including desi salan, bhunna masala and roasting, and it is at its best raw, as a finishing drizzle. It can shallow fry and, fresh, deep fry as well.

• How to cook with extra virgin olive oil
• Can you fry with olive oil?
• Olive oil in the Mediterranean diet

Health

The strongest evidence is for the heart: used instead of saturated fats, olive oil lowers LDL cholesterol. Its polyphenols, which only extra virgin keeps, protect blood fats from oxidation. Read olive oil health benefits for what’s well supported and what isn’t, and olive oil nutrition facts for the numbers per spoonful. For external use, see olive oil for skin and hair.

Storing it

Light, heat and air are what age olive oil. Keep it in a dark bottle, in a cupboard away from the stove, capped tightly, and use an open bottle within three to four months. More in how to store olive oil.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between virgin and extra virgin olive oil?

Both are unrefined. Extra virgin has lower acidity (0.8% or less) and no flavour defects, so it is fresher and better tasting.

Why is extra virgin olive oil more expensive?

It uses only the first extraction of fresh, sound fruit, with nothing blended in, and the yield per kilo of olives is modest. Refined and pomace oils are made from lower-grade fruit or leftovers, at scale.

Is Pakistani olive oil real olive oil?

Yes. Olives are grown in Pakistan, especially in the rainfed Pothwar region of the north, and pressed here. Zuriyat’s story began at an olive research station in that region. You can read it on our About page.

How can I tell if olive oil has gone bad?

It smells like crayons, putty or stale nuts, and tastes flat or greasy with no pepper. That oil has oxidised and is best thrown away.

Try it for yourself: Zuriyat extra virgin olive oil, pressed from Pakistani olives and bottled in Pakistan.