Whether you are a chef at a well-known restaurant or just an aspiring gourmet cook in your own kitchen, olive oil education and training can make you better at your craft. There is a lot to know about the olive oil business and how you can get the most out of the tasty oil. The olive oil business prides itself on high quality, good tasting olive oil products. Gaining a better appreciation of different olive oil brands and when and how to use them will allow you, and your audience, to be more satisfied with the finished products that come off your stove top.

From knowing the differences between organic olive oil to infused olive oil, olive oil manufacturers do it all. In order to keep up with this evolving industry, there are many ways to further your olive oil education and training.

Consider the following when researching olive oil information:

1. There is an abundance of information about olive oil online that can make you more knowledgeable and help you pursue education and training.

2. Classes are offered that concentrate just on the many tastes of olive oil products.

3. Knowing about how olive oil is made is beneficial to anyone using the products.

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Search online for information from where to buy olive oil to how to purchase bulk olive oil

The Internet is a great resource for information on olive oil. There are specialty vendors as well as websites for olive oil enthusiasts. Olive oil is considered gourmet in many circles and is therefore regarded as a high quality kitchen ingredient. This interest in the delectable creates a need for a wealth of knowledge on the subject.

I recommend: Consider checking out blogs such as I Love Olive Oil which is dedicated to the hunt for good extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil association websites, such as the California Olive Oil Council, are also good resources for continued olive oil education and training.

Learn about the taste of olive oil products in specialized courses

Much of olive oil education and training includes learning about the many flavors and uses of the oil. Some tastes are good and some are not so much, so it is important to know how each of the flavors will react in your culinary creations. Many culinary art programs and centers have classes dedicated to tastes and uses for olive oil.

I recommend: The UC Davis Olive Center has specialized courses that focus on how to detect good quality olive oil. The In Good Taste Cooking School offers participants information on the different terminologies of olive oil.

Learn about making your own olive oil

Many olive oil enthusiasts gain their appreciation of olive oil after watching manufacturers and learning about their painstaking process. Knowing how it is made can also give you insight into how olive oil can best be used in your kitchen. Like anything, if you know the process behind creating a product, you are more likely to be able to use it more wisely.

I recommend: Culinary classes are one way to learn how to make olive oil such as the ones offered at the Italian Culinary Center. Online sources, such as The Olive Oil Source, give step by step instructions on making organic olive oil.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Don't be afraid to do some of your own research on olive oil. Experimenting around in your kitchen with different brands and different levels of potency can help you to discover the best way for you to use olive oil in your kitchen.

To buy the right olive oil, you have to decide what kind of oil you need; you should also know what distinguishes a great oil from a mediocre one. It also helps to be familiar with the processes used by olive oil manufacturers so that you can pick the best oil to suit your end application.

Anyone in the olive oil business can tell you their opinion, but finding the right olive oil is like finding the right wine: it's very subjective. But if you know where to start, doing a few taste tests is all you need to get you on your way.

1. Check out traditional olive oil made using the cold pressing method. This process doesn't use heat to get the oil from the olives and therefore, produces a better oil.

2. Find information on olive oil brands that produce extra virgin olive oil. This oil is of the highest purity and is preferred by many customers because of its lower acidity.

3. Taste a few olive oils infused with different flavors. An infused olive oil can really add a special kick to your dishes.

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Buy cold pressed olive oil for the best quality

Traditional olive oils are pressed from fresh picked olives. This usually occurs within 24 hours of harvesting. Whole olives are first pressed into a paste, then pressed again to squeeze out the oil. This process is known as cold pressing and is the best way to make olive oil that has a quality taste.

I recommend: Order true Italian olive oil from Zingerman's Mail Order. Check out the high-end oils available at DiBruno Brothers.

Give your customers the best; use extra virgin olive oil

Extra virgin oil, or EVO, has less than .8 acidity. This oil has the highest purity of any of the olive oils, and to assure that you're getting the best, look for the seal of certification from the California Olive Oil Council.

I recommend: Purchase certified EVO from California's Apollo Olive Oil. Try EVO made from Tuscan olives at Lucini Italia Co.

Cook with infused olive oil for an extra zing

Olive oils can be 'infused' with a variety of herbs and flavors to add to the taste of the oil. The most common type of infusion is with herbs, but some companies have gotten creative and are offering flavors like blood orange and jalapeño.

I recommend: Buy olive oil infused with flavors from porcini mushrooms, white truffles, garlic, basil and oregano from Olio2go, which offers wholesale purchasing. Try a few of the delicious infused olive oils from Sotto Voce, which also has a wide selection of flavors.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Organic olive oil is probably the best olive oil out there. It is pure, it's 'green' and it tastes great. Many organic olive oils aren't much more expensive than traditional oils, so they are cost effective as well as high quality. Even better, get an organic EVO.

Diners and consumers are looking for the best olive oils, and are increasingly savvy about the qualities and uses of this versatile commodity. Whether you are buying for a restaurant kitchen; stocking the shelves of a grocery; adding researching inventory for a health food store; or even planning an olive oil tasting event — here are some of the olive oil key terms you'll need to know in order to give your customers what they're looking for.

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Virgin, refined

Virgin and refined refer to the methods used for extracting the oil from the fruit. Virgin oils are obtained using only mechanical, not chemical or thermal methods, and are unmixed with any other type of oil. Refined oils are chemically extracted or filtered to make them suitable for consumption, and may be mixed. Within each type, olive oils are also graded. Most olive producing countries follow the strict International Olive Oil Council (IOOC) standard, which grades oils by percentage of acidity, from extra virgin (least acid) to virgin to ordinary. US standards are less specific, and use the terms pure or light to describe ordinary refined oils. Some olive growing states like California have adopted their own grading standards.

I recommend: Visit The Olive Oil Source for a full discussion of olive oil types and grading systems. The California Olive Oil Council (COOC) offers a certification program for extra virgin olive oils.

Expressed, expelled, cold-pressed

Olive oils are often advertised as expressed, expelled or cold-pressed, meaning that they have been obtained from the olive fruit by mechanical squeezing or crushing and have not been heat-treated or chemically processed. Under IOOC grading standards, any of the virgin grades of olive oil must be obtained through these mechanical means, but the terms themselves have no legal status and are often applied incorrectly or misleadingly.

I recommend: Read about methods of olive oil extraction in the olive oil entry of the Food Network's encyclopedia.

Vintage

Olive oils, like wines, reflect the variety and growing conditions of the fruit, with subtle differences based on soil and climate. Recently, some olive oil producers have begun building on the comparison by releasing vintage extra virgin olive oils labeled with the year of bottling, and by sponsoring olive oil tastings.

I recommend: Summit Vine Ranch in CA's Napa Valley, a region known for its vintage wines, offers vintage olive oils as well as wines.

Organic

Olive oils labeled organic are assumed to have been produced by chemical-free methods from fruit grown without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers. No universal standard exists for organic olive oils, but individual countries and some US states have certification programs.

I recommend: The National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia (NASAA) has developed standards for organic olive oils. See a slide show on organic olive oil production at the O Olive Oil website.

Infused

Olive oils are available infused, or flavored with, a wide variety of herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables, from citrus to truffle to garlic, for use in cooking or salad dressings. Infused oils begin with a base of ordinary virgin olive oil or even refined oil, because the strong flavors and higher costs of extra virgin oils make them less suitable for this use.

I recommend: Browse the list of infused olive oils available from France's A l'Olivier exporter.

Fusty

Olive oils are vulnerable to a number of conditions that cause spoilage, off odors or taste defects. Olive oil producers and tasters, like wine tasters, have a whole vocabulary for describing the sensory qualities of the oil. The term fusty is applied to an indescribably disagreeable smell or taste.

I recommend: See a listing of olive oil tasting terms, including fusty, at the Organic Olive Oil Company.

Olive oil has a distinct flavor that compliments a variety of dishes. Whether you operate an Italian or Greek restaurant, a sandwich shop or an establishment that serves salads, olive oil may prove to be a good addition to your condiment line up.

Making the decision to purchase olive oil for your business means re-evaluating your condiment budget. Consider the following guidelines to help you accurately gauge olive oil pricing and costs.

1. Save money by purchasing olive oil in bulk if your business will use it before it goes bad.

2. Purchase olive oil by the case to minimize the risk of the oil spoiling.

3. Make preparing dishes easier for your chefs by offering olive oil cooking spray.

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Purchase bulk olive oil

If your food service business uses a considerable amount of olive oil, purchasing in bulk may be the most cost effective way to keep your supply of olive oil at a suitable level. For most businesses, 5 to 25 gallon boxes or cans of olive oil are the best option. However, larger quantities may be acceptable if your business uses a lot of olive oil.

I recommend: You can buy olive oil in bulk boxes from California Olive Ranch. The prices range from $60 to $250 depending on the type of olive oil needed. Eden Foods sells extra virgin olive oil from Spain in a 58-gallon drum. This bulk olive oil is around $3,000. This website provides olive oil information, including some nutritional values.

Buy olive oil by the case

For businesses that don't use a lot of olive oil on a regular basis, buying the oil by the case is a good option. When you purchase a case of olive oil, you can get one bottle out of the case, close the case and the rest of the oils will stay good as long as you don't store them near heat.

I recommend: Gourmet Food Express sells olive oil bottles by the case. Prices start around $50 per case. Eliki Olive Oil is an olive oil business that sells numerous types of olive oil products. Prices range from under $10 for a single bottle to higher than $300 for a case of Greek organic olive oil.

Consider using olive oil spray

Olive oil pan coating or cooking spray is an ideal option for businesses that use olive oil to keep food from sticking to pans. Unlike bottled or canned olive oil, olive oil cooking spray is treated to enable it to withstand higher temperatures. Another bonus to choosing cooking spray is that it is neater to use, as it isn't easily spilled.

I recommend: BytheCase.net sells olive oil cooking spray by the case. Each case costs around $40. You can find products from various olive oil manufacturers at FoodServiceDirect.com. Olive oil pan coating spray starts at around $80 per case.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Olive oil will go bad quickly if it is exposed to high temperatures, light or air. Because of this, storing your olive oil near a grill is a bad idea. Cans or boxes of olive oil are ideal if there aren't any dark areas in your business that are suitable for storing the oil. However, if you purchase a bottle of olive oil, you can keep it in a bag or inside of an oven mitt to avoid light exposure.