There’s a big misunderstanding floating around in the olive oil world, and it’s time we clear it up once and for all:
Acidity in olive oil has nothing to do with taste.
You heard me right. That “low acidity” claim on the bottle? It has zero impact on how the oil tastes on your tongue. But it does tell you something very important—how well the olives were handled before pressing.
Let’s break it down.
In olive oil, “acidity” refers specifically to the free fatty acid content, most often expressed as a percentage of oleic acid. Extra virgin olive oil, by definition, must have an acidity level of 0.8% or lower. But the best oils? The fresh, well-made, award-winning ones? They clock in closer to 0.2% or even lower.
So what causes free acidity in the first place?
It all comes down to enzymatic breakdown—the decomposition that starts when olives are bruised, damaged, or left sitting too long after harvest. Poor handling = broken fruit = oil with higher acidity. That’s why real producers rush to crush within hours. They know the clock starts ticking the second those olives leave the tree.
But here’s the catch: you can’t taste acidity in olive oil. It doesn’t burn your throat or make you pucker. That sensation? That’s from polyphenols—specifically oleocanthal, which gives EVOO its peppery bite.
So why does this matter?
Because too many people still confuse “low acidity” with flavor. They assume an oil with 0.3% acidity will taste smoother or better than one with 0.6%. But truthfully, if the oil is fresh and defect-free, both will taste just fine. What really matters is that the oil hasn’t been mistreated—that it was made with care, quickly, and cleanly. That’s what low acidity tells us.
And here’s another wrinkle: Acidity can’t be measured at home. It’s a lab test, not a DIY method. So don’t believe marketing hype that leans too hard on acidity without context. Ask about harvest dates. Ask about sensory evaluation. Ask how soon the olives were pressed.
Because at the end of the day, low acidity is a sign of care, not taste.
Let’s read it like a farmer, not a chemist.
Luca
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olive-oil-acidity truth-and-testing real-evoo olive-oil-misconceptions lab-testing free-fatty-acids evoo-standards