Chapter 9
Olive (Olea europaea)
Nicola Caporaso and Dimitrios Boskou
Abstract Olive oil is the product obtained from the olive fruit. Several grades can be
obtained, extra virgin olive oil being the top category. The balanced fatty acid
composition of olive oil, particularly its high content of oleic acid, makes this product
nutritionally important. In addition, virgin olive oil contains bioactive compounds
such as unsaponifiable constituents and phenolic compounds. Polar phenols and
volatile compounds are two of the most interesting classes of compounds in olive
oil. The scientifically proven beneficial health effects related to VOO consumption and
the unique sensory properties of this product make it versatile for several culinary uses.
This chapter reviews olive oil composition, focusing on the flavour-active compounds
and their changes due to the variety, environmental conditions, processing and
technological factors. The culinary uses of olive oils are then presented, with emphasis
on traditional uses, possible food pairing and innovative applications including substitution of other fats and molecular gastronomy.
Keywords Olive oil · EVOO · Olive oil culinary use · Olive oil flavour · Natural
phenolic compounds · Olive and cardiovascular diseases
N. Caporaso (*)
Department of Agricultural and Food Science, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
Department of Food Sciences, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham,
UK
e-mail: nicola.caporaso3@unina.it
D. Boskou
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hellas, Thessaloniki, Greece
e-mail: boskou@chem.auth.gr
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
B. Tanwar, A. Goyal (eds.), Oilseeds: Health Attributes and Food Applications,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4194-0_9
211
Olive (Olea europaea)
Nicola Caporaso and Dimitrios Boskou
Abstract Olive oil is the product obtained from the olive fruit. Several grades can be
obtained, extra virgin olive oil being the top category. The balanced fatty acid
composition of olive oil, particularly its high content of oleic acid, makes this product
nutritionally important. In addition, virgin olive oil contains bioactive compounds
such as unsaponifiable constituents and phenolic compounds. Polar phenols and
volatile compounds are two of the most interesting classes of compounds in olive
oil. The scientifically proven beneficial health effects related to VOO consumption and
the unique sensory properties of this product make it versatile for several culinary uses.
This chapter reviews olive oil composition, focusing on the flavour-active compounds
and their changes due to the variety, environmental conditions, processing and
technological factors. The culinary uses of olive oils are then presented, with emphasis
on traditional uses, possible food pairing and innovative applications including substitution of other fats and molecular gastronomy.
Keywords Olive oil · EVOO · Olive oil culinary use · Olive oil flavour · Natural
phenolic compounds · Olive and cardiovascular diseases
N. Caporaso (*)
Department of Agricultural and Food Science, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
Department of Food Sciences, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham,
UK
e-mail: nicola.caporaso3@unina.it
D. Boskou
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hellas, Thessaloniki, Greece
e-mail: boskou@chem.auth.gr
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
B. Tanwar, A. Goyal (eds.), Oilseeds: Health Attributes and Food Applications,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4194-0_9
211