Powerful excerpt from "Extra Virginity" by Tom Mueller
Austin
“Olive oil is the only commercially significant vegetable oil to be extracted from a fruit rather than from seeds, like sunflower, canola, and soy oil. Since the fruit contains considerable water, extraction can be done by mechanical methods alone, with a centrifuge or a press, whereas extracting seed oils generally requires the use of industrial solvents, typically hexane. ”
This passage is not a crescendo for the story "Extra Virginity" by Tom Mueller, nor does it seem to be intended as a uniquely powerful point made for the reader... but as the author explains this likely glanced-over, somewhat technical point, I am struck by it. He goes on to mention that to remove this solvent and it's unwanted tastes and odors, producers of these other types of oil have to process their product in a refinery going through processes like neutralization, deodorization, bleaching, degumming, etc.
The more I study and learn about this fruit: the olive, the more I appreciate how reflective it is. The better the fruit, the better the product. The better the biodiversity of the grove, the care of the tree, the care of the land... the more we are rewarded with a truly special, healthy, tasty fruit juice that we call Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
The author goes on to explain that the quality of the olive is of fundamental importance to olive oil, whereas with these other oils you can extract industry-standard oils from low-grade seeds. To me, this says that this product that we have given our hands to, for it to be truly a premium quality product... it demands honesty... and in today's world... that is a beautiful thing.
-Austin H.