CHANEA OLIVE OIL

• A) HOW TO TASTE and COMPARE "chanea" olive oil.
  
  The best way to taste an olive oil is by putting some in a small glass. You can smell it and see the golden yellow color of it, then drink it up! Other way is by putting some on fresh white bread, which is the most usual snack in Greece.
  
  If you want to compare it with any other olive oil just put a ship of each brand in a small glass. Mark the brand on each glass and then taste them. Watch the color the smell and finally the taste.
  
  Different extra virgin olive oils may share the same characteristics but there is marked variation in taste. There are many nuances, and connoisseurs categorise its flavours as mild (delicate, light, or buttery), semi-fruity (stronger, with more taste of olive), and fruity (oil with a strong olive flavour).
  If you wish to become familiar with the different olive oil flavours, you should try to taste as many of them as possible; one cost-effective way to do that is to split several large bottles of different extra virgin olive oils with your friends.
  
  Chanea product features:
  
  Colour. Vivid golden yellow in other words “the liquid gold”. A lighter color may also signify oxidation arising from exposure to sunlight. If that happens, the delicate aromas and health characteristics in such oils generally have suffered, and the oil may taste rancid.
  Taste: Balanced, delicate taste like the climate of Kolymvari.
  Flavour: Slightly grassy and spicy like the smell of grass.
  Ingredients: superior quality extra virgin olive oil from the region of Kolymvari, obtained directly from olives and solely by mechanical means.
  
  
  B) KEY POINTS FOR CHANEA Olive Oil.
  
  1) It is the only olive oil in the world that has been officially chosen by an Olympic Games committee for the nutrition of the athletes. Olympic Games of Tokyo, Japan.
  
  2) It is a PDO Kolymvari (Protected Designation of Origin) olive oil. This means that the European Union has recognized its quality and taste and guarantees these two.
  How? By making frequent quality controls and by guaranteeing that the olive oil is produced and bottled within the region of Kolymvari (no other inferior oils are mixed with it).
  
  3) Each bottle has 2 characteristics that assure the origin of it. The PDO logo, on the front label and the red tape, on the neck of each bottle with a unique serial number for each bottle.
  This is because each producer can produce a specific quantity of PDO oil and the European Union guarantees only this quantity. If a product has the PDO logo without being registered or the quantity produced is more than it has been registered the fines are immense. In other words each bottle is unique and tested (quality, taste).
  
  4) Chanea is a first cold pressed olive oil.
  This means that the olives are processed in lower than 27 degrees Celsius so its health benefits and nutrition characteristics do not deteriorate as in refined oils. So the consumer is buying what he is paying for (value for money).
  
  5) It has an acidity level of 0, 3% (the E.U. sets as a limit for branded as extra virgin the 0,8%) which is one of the lowest you can find in the international market. Low acidity levels indicate:
  Good quality olives used in the production.
  No more than 24 hours have passed from the harvest of the olives until the production of olive oil.
  It is cold pressed.
  No chemicals and heat has been used in the production.
  Professionalism in the production method.
  
  (Think what you would do in your kitchen if you wanted to make a glass of fresh orange juice, it is the same).
  
  6) Glass bottle. The packaging of the chanea olive oil is in a dark green Maraska glass bottle. It is stylish and the dark green color of it prevents the sun and air to deteriorate its quality ( sun and air are the worst enemies of olive oil), thus guaranteeing that the final consumer will buy what he is paying for.
  
  7) The label, a picture of the traditional Greek architecture (blue and white houses), has won the 3rd prize in the Greek packaging competition in 2008.
  
  8) The olive tree of Kolymvari, 3000 years old (the one in the first page of the chanea brochure) is the oldest olive tree in the world and its branches were given to the winners of the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece in 2004.
  
  
  9) Polyphenols. Chanea olive oil has a very big concentration of polyphenols and that is why when drinking it, you feel a slight burn in your throat.
  
  What are the polyphenols? They are the strongest natural anti-oxidants found only in olive oil. They create a frame around the human cells and protect them from any kind of diseases (aging, breast and many kind of cancer, heart attacks). The FDA (food and drug administration of the USA, which is the most approved organization regarding food quality) has recently announced that daily consumption of good quality extra virgin olive oil can prevent breast cancer and heart attacks. In other words, chanea is a medicine in your kitchen!
  
  (Please check page 6 and the following sites).
  
  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/03/0321_050321_oliveoil.html
  
  http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/2004/NEW01129.html
  
  10) The variety of olives used in the production of chanea is the “Koroneiki”, the best Greek variety of olives. Other e.v.oo. have to mix different varieties so as to get a good result. Koroneiki variety is the first variety that was systematically cultivated in the Mediterranean.
  
  11) There are no chemical residues or pesticides in the chanea olive oil which makes it natural and safe to eat even for young children (that’s what I give my 2 year old nephew).
  Did you know that extra virgin olive oil is the second easiest food for the human body to absorb?
  The first is the breast milk!
  
  
  12) Chanea is sold in the Dean & Deluca department stores in Taiwan, which is considered to be the benchmark of quality and style in the food retail business in Asia and the USA.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  CATEGORIES OF OLIVE OIL
  
  Extra Virgin Olive Oil the queen of oils
  
  To be certified for the “extra virgin” label, an olive oil should satisfy four criteria: it must be produced by mechanical extraction methods (no chemicals or hot water applied), come only from first cold-pressing, have an oleic acidity level of less than one percent, and must have a perfect taste.
  Acidity level is the most important factor that determines its grade. This is a measure of the percentage of free fatty acid content: the best oil has the lowest acidity. The oil should also be free from perceptible defects in taste or smell. Extra virgin olive oil is valued for its perfect balance in terms of flavour, aroma, colour, and acidity level.
  One reason extra virgin olive oil is prized so highly is its high content of vitamins and nutrients. Also, it is pure and without any additives. The fruitiness of its taste and the complexity of its aroma give it universal appeal. The light, delicate consistency of extra virgin olive oil makes it perfect for dressings. It is also the preferred oil for use in cooking by more discerning users.
  Extra virgin olive oil comes in four sub-types:
  Extra virgin olive oil (regular)
  Organic extra virgin olive oil
  Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) (the most market appreciated!)
  
  Virgin Olive Oil
  Virgin olive oil also comes from the first pressing, and is also produced without refining. In a technical sense, virgin olive oil may have an acidity level of up to 3.3%, however, industry practice in the producing countries is to maintain under 2% acidity. Its flavour intensity can vary and its taste is less mild than extra virgin olive oil.
  
  
  
  Pure Olive Oil
  This is now simply called olive oil and is a blend of virgin olive oil and refined olive oil. Its label will bear the designation “pure” or “100% pure”. However, refined olive oil has very little vitamin E content and level of polyphenols. This is why producers need to add unrefined virgin olive oil to impart some of flavour, colour and aroma into the blend. The proportions of the two components may vary from one producer to another, depending on the flavour the producer desires to create.
  Pure olive oil actually has the same acidity level as virgin olive oil, and for that reason it has good resistance to high temperatures. Its lower nutrient content than virgin olive oil makes it less expensive. It cannot be used for dressings and is better suited for heavy-duty, high-heat cooking.
  
  Pomace Olive Oil
  Pomace oil is the lowest grade of olive-based oils. Pomace is that part of the olive that remains after all the oil and water in it has been removed by pressuring or centrifuging processes. With the use of certain solvents, there is still some residual oil that can be extracted from the olive pomace. This oil may then be refined, which results in a product bereft of any specific taste or colour; it also contains none of olive oil’s vitamins.
  To make pomace oil acceptable to consumers, the producer blends it with virgin olive oil. As with pure olive oil, the producer may vary the proportions between the pomace oil and virgin olive oil; however, the virgin olive oil content is generally quite low. The blended product is called olive pomace oil. Like pure olive oil, it is suitable for use only in high-heat cooking.
  
  Light Olive Oil
  There are certain light-tasting, light-coloured oils containing minute proportions, if at all, of virgin oils. These are pure rectified oils called light oils. They are being marketed with a particular slant that would have people believe that they are buying oils that have lower in fat or calorie content. The truth is, light oils have 125 calories per tablespoon – exactly like all olive oils, and all fats, for that matter.
  
  
  Olive Oil Polyphenols
  Olive oil polyphenols are important anti-oxidants (natural anti-inflammatories) found in highest concentrations in extra virgin olive oil.
  One of the most important components of olive oil is hydroxytyrosol, an extremely rare, highly potent polyphenol. Hydroxytyrosol can actually slow the aging process in the skin by stabilizing the part of the cell known as the cell plasma membrane.
  Researchers worldwide find that diets rich in olive oil polyphenols are associated with healthier breast tissue, colon function, and cardiovascular function, and offer significant extra protection from secondary smoke and sun-related skin damage.
  Extra virgin olive oil is unique when it comes to foods that have a direct impact on beautiful skin.
  
  A few of the benefits of a diet rich in anti-inflammatory anti-oxidant extra virgin olive oil include:
  increases the skins ability to maintain moisture
  decreases "bad cholesterol"
  increases "good cholesterol"
  helps intestinal absorption
  helps gall bladder activity
  lowers probability of gallstones
  lowers blood pressure
  decreases gastric acid secretion in ulcers
  stimulates pancreas secretion
  aids developing bone in children
  prevents osteoporosis
  lowers glucose levels in diabetics
  reduces risk of prostate cancer
  reduces the risk of breast cancer
  
  Olive oil polyphenols offer additional benefits when incorporated into topical formulations, including the following:
  The delivery of the polyphenol anti-oxidant benefits directly to the skin.
  Provides an all-natural approach to the prevention of free-radical damage.
  Minimizes the appearance of lines and wrinkles while it brightens and evens skin tone.
  Extremely gentle and non-irritating; safe for even the most sensitive skin.Guards against signs of premature aging.