Uses of Olive Oil

Culinary use

Olive oil is an important cooking oil in countries surrounding the Mediterranean, and it forms one of the three staple food plants of Mediterranean cuisine, the other two being wheat (as in pasta, bread) and the grape, used as a dessert fruit and for wine.

1. Extra virgin olive oil is mostly used as a salad dressing and as an ingredient in salad dressings. It is also used with foods to be eaten cold. If uncompromised by heat, the flavor is stronger. It also can be used for sautéing.

2. Refined olive oils are suited for deep frying because of the higher smoke point and milder flavour. with higher-quality oils having a higher smoke point,whereas refined light olive oil has a smoke point up to 230 °C .It is a "popular myth" that high-quality extra virgin olive oil is a poor choice for cooking, as its smoke point is above the temperatures required for cooking, and has greater resistance to oxidation than most other cooking oils, as a result of its antioxidant and mono-unsaturated fat content.

3. Choosing a cold-pressed olive oil can be similar to selecting a wine. The flavor of these oils varies considerably and a particular oil may be more suited for a particular dish. In time, oils deteriorate and become stale. One-year-old oil may be still pleasant to the taste, but it is less fragrant than fresh oil. After the first year, olive oil is more suitable for cooking than serving raw.

Religious use

Christianity

1. the Oil of Catechumens (used to bless and strengthen those preparing for Baptism). Olive oil mixed with a perfuming agent such as balsam is consecrated by bishops as Sacred Chrism, which is used to confer the sacrament of Confirmation (as a symbol of the strengthening of the Holy Spirit).Eastern Orthodox Christians still use oil lamps in their churches, home prayer corners and in the cemeteries.

2. Oil of the Sick (used to confer the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick or Unction).The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints uses virgin olive oil that has been blessed by the priesthood. This consecrated oil is used for anointing the sick.

Judaism

In Jewish observance, olive oil was the only fuel allowed to be used in the seven-branched menorah in the Mishkan service during the Exodus of the tribes of Israel from Egypt, and later in the permanent Temple in Jerusalem. It was obtained by using only the first drop from a squeezed olive and was consecrated for use only in the Temple by the priests and stored in special containers. In modern times, although candles can be used to light the menorah at Hanukkah, oil containers are preferred, to imitate the original menorah.

Skin care

One study found that olive oil lowered the risk of dermatitis for infants in all gestational stages when compared with emollient cream,while another study of adults found that topical treatment with olive oil "significantly damages the skin barrier" when compared to sunflower oil, and that it may make existing atopic dermatitis worse.