Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Extra Virgin Olive Oil. If you have a question that isn't answered here, message us on the chat and we'll be happy to help!

FAQs about shopping online at Mi Oliva Gourmet

Where is Mi Oliva Gourmet from?

Mi Oliva Gourmet EVOO comes from the San Miguel olive grove in Puente Genil, Córdoba, considered one of the finest in the world. In 1935, it received the award for the best oil in the world (OPTIMUM OLEI EMPORIUM). Our oils are bottled daily and never blended with other oils, so they reach you in perfect condition.

Click here to see what sets us apart.

What is the Mi Oliva Gourmet Club?

The Mi Oliva Gourmet Club is a family of people who love authentic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, the kind made by a grower you know by name.

As a Club member, you benefit from every promotion and stay up to date with everything happening at Mi Oliva Gourmet. All you need to do is give us your email, and you can unsubscribe at any time if you no longer want to receive our emails.

Tap here and join the Club!

Why create a Mi Oliva Gourmet account?

A Mi Oliva Gourmet account saves your details on our website, making your purchases and enquiries quicker and easier. Simply register as a customer, and whenever you place an order, you'll only need to choose your product. All your details will be filled in automatically, and you can even save your card details for future purchases. You can also view every order you've placed since registering. If you don't have an account yet,

tap here to create one

Is there a minimum order?

There's no minimum order. You can buy olive oil in any of the formats shown on our website, whatever the price. To see the formats and prices available, select a product. A window will open with the full product description, and just below it you'll find a drop-down menu listing every available format along with its price.

Do you offer special prices for shops or distributors?

We sell directly from the grower to the end customer. That said, we sometimes make exceptions when the values and philosophy of a small business or specialty shop align with our own. In that case, although we don't have specific trade rates, we can offer a volume discount. Just write to us or give us a call and we'll look into it.

How can I get a coupon?

We rarely offer discounts because, unfortunately, margins in the Extra Virgin Olive Oil sector are very tight. However, to receive discount coupons, you'll need to be a member of the Mi Oliva Gourmet Club.

How can I pay for my order?

By credit or debit card

Select this option and enter the requested card details. There's no need to worry: it's a secure payment platform and your card details won't be stored.

If the payment doesn't go through after entering your card details, check that your billing address matches the address linked to your card. If it's different from your shipping address, don't worry. Your order will be sent to the shipping address, not the billing address.

Bank transfer

Once you complete your purchase, you'll receive our account number by email so you can transfer the order amount. Don't forget to include your name and order number in the transfer so we know who it's from. As soon as we receive the transfer, we'll ship your order.

PayPal

When you select this option, you'll be taken automatically to the PayPal platform, where you can log in and complete the payment. If an error occurs on PayPal and the payment isn't completed, the system will cancel the order automatically. Once the payment is confirmed on the platform, the order will reappear correctly so we can ship it.

Cash on delivery

Available for deliveries to mainland Spain only. You'll need to pay the exact amount in cash when your order is delivered. Card payments are not accepted.

Don't forget to tick the box for your chosen payment method. If you don't, the payment won't be processed and your order won't be placed.

What should I do if my order fails?

Occasionally, an order may not go through at checkout.

If you're paying by credit or debit card, the payment may fail because the payment gateway detects details that don't match the card. In this case, enter the address linked to your card as the billing address, and enter the address where you'd like to receive your order as the shipping address if it's different. A charge may appear on your card, but if the order wasn't completed, it means we haven't received the payment, and the charge will disappear within a few hours or by the next day.

If you pay via PayPal and the payment doesn't go through, the system cancels the order automatically. Once the payment has been completed successfully on PayPal, the order will show as valid again so we can ship it.

How do I know if my order was placed successfully?

You should receive a confirmation email with all your order details. If you don't receive it, the order hasn't been placed.

Where do you ship and how much does shipping cost?

All orders are delivered to your door throughout mainland Spain, the Balearic Islands and most of Europe.

Shipping within Spain: delivery to mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands is free. (We do not ship to the Canary Islands, Ceuta or Melilla.)

Shipping to Europe: we ship to most of Europe, with shipping costs depending on the weight of the parcel and the destination.

How can I track my order?

Once your order has left the courier's depot, you'll receive an email or text message from the courier with a tracking number, so you can follow your delivery at any time.

FAQs about Olive Oil

What's the difference between filtered and unfiltered oil?

With unfiltered oil, the EVOO settles for just a few hours, whereas filtered EVOO settles over several days. Unfiltered oil is better suited to enjoying raw, as tiny particles of leaf and olive stone give its flavor extra nuances. Studies have shown it offers some additional beneficial properties compared with filtered oil. Unfiltered EVOO can also be used for cooking, but it isn't suitable for frying, because these suspended particles burn quickly and the oil darkens sooner. To learn all the differences between unfiltered and filtered Olive Oil, click here

What are the polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil?

As set out in the European Regulation on authorized health claims made on foods, the main benefit of olive oil polyphenols is that they contribute to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress.

Polyphenols are among the most powerful antioxidants found in nature, with a far greater effect than any antioxidant made in a laboratory.

To find out more about the benefits of polyphenols in Olive Oil, click here.

To find out more about the benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, click here.

How long can a bottle of oil stay open?

The best-before period for EVOO depends on whether it's filtered or unfiltered.

Filtered oil is usually best consumed within two years of bottling.

For unfiltered oil, this drops to one year because, without filtering, the suspended particles settle over time, forming “sediment” at the bottom of the bottle that could ferment when exposed to light and oxygen.

These are “best-before” periods, meaning that up to that point the EVOO should be in perfect condition, and after that it may begin to deteriorate. That's why it has no expiry date.

Once opened, we recommend using the bottle within 2 to 3 weeks. For large formats (5 L), it's best to decant some of the oil into a smaller opaque container (such as a classic stainless steel oil cruet).

Meanwhile, keep the open container in a cool place away from light.

Which variety do you think is best for enjoying raw?

Any variety of a good EVOO is a pleasure raw (on toast, in salads, drizzled straight over food to bring out its flavor, and so on).

Spain is rich in varieties, with more than 50, so whether you lean towards one or another comes down to your own taste.

Picual tends to have the boldest, most robust and peppery flavor.

Hojiblanca and Picuda usually strike an almost perfect balance between pepperiness and bitterness.

Arbequina is the least peppery, yet still full of flavors and nuances.

Which oil has the most intense flavor?

Defining “intense” is tricky, because… intense in what? In nuances, aromas, pepperiness, bitterness?

All high-quality EVOOs, like the ones you'll find at Mi Oliva Gourmet, are intense across all their sensory qualities.

That's why “intense” shouldn't be confused with just some of those qualities, such as pepperiness or bitterness.

If you're looking for an EVOO with a bold, peppery and bitter flavor, Estirpe PICUAL would be the best choice.

Which oil do you recommend for frying? How many times can the oil be reused?

The first thing to know is that the better the EVOO, the better it is for frying, because it loses fewer of its beneficial properties at high temperatures. This goes against the common myth that good EVOO isn't suitable for frying, when in fact it's the other way round. Poor-quality oils lose their qualities quickly.

That's why top restaurants fry with excellent EVOOs, and other quality restaurants use oils high in oleic acid.

You can use any of our EVOOs for pan-frying, as temperatures are usually lower than in a deep fryer.

For deep-frying, we recommend one of our filtered EVOOs: Estirpe Traditional Harvest

What's the best time of year to buy Olive Oil?

At Mi Oliva Gourmet, you'll always find freshly bottled EVOO straight from the mill's cellars. We don't stockpile like supermarkets and large distributors.

That way, you can enjoy the finest EVOO all year round.

That said, freshly pressed EVOO does have an extra burst of flavors and nuances, like freshly squeezed juice.

Depending on the variety, these freshly pressed oils are released gradually.

The first to arrive, between October and November, is our Early Harvest Oil, a true “green gold” thanks to its low yield and exceptional quality.

Arbequina and Picual usually follow between November and early December.

And finally, Hojiblanca arrives in mid-December.

That's how Mi Oliva Gourmet EVOOs are made: harvested at the optimal point of ripeness.

Lower-quality EVOOs tend to be released later, chasing a higher yield from the olive at the expense of its sensory qualities.

What makes our oils different?

First, they are authentic EVOOs, grown and tended with a real love for the land and the product. They come direct from the grower, from a farmer you know by name, and are never blended with oils of any other origin.

Second, they are freshly bottled, kept in optimal conditions in the mill's cellars until then.

And third, they are all of outstanding quality, with an acidity below 0.2 (compared with the 0.8 required by regulations) and low yields, which translate into a high polyphenol content.

And let's not forget the most important thing of all: their sensory qualities. They are rich in nuances, aromas, flavors and wonderful sensations that will let you enjoy them just as our grandparents did, with an authentic, delicious product.

Why does Andalusian oil taste stronger than oil from other parts of Spain?

Olive groves dominate the Andalusian landscape.

Nearly one and a half million hectares are home to the roots of this tree, which defines the region and has made it the olive-growing land par excellence for thousands of years.

Some of these olive groves, centuries old, are true witnesses to our history and Andalusian cuisine.

Andalusia is the largest olive oil-producing region in the world and the cradle of the Mediterranean diet, with Extra Virgin Olive Oil as the cornerstone of a diet that has been declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Where can I buy Olive Oil at a good price?

You've probably tried to buy good-quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil at a good price from a hypermarket, supermarket or similar.

On top of that, it can be hard to tell whether an oil is truly good quality.

If you'd like to read more, we share the key points here: Where to buy Olive Oil at a good price.

How Extra Virgin Olive Oil is classified

EVOO is officially classified as “Extra Virgin” based on three main parameters:

1. It is obtained solely by mechanical means.

2. The olives are of the highest quality, which in turn depends on acidity. To qualify as Extra Virgin, the maximum acidity is 0.8.

3. It meets minimum sensory standards.

To learn more about what sets Extra Virgin Olive Oil apart from the rest, click here.

“Green Gold” or Early Harvest Olive Oil

An early harvest oil is unique in its color, its flavor and, above all, its qualities.

First of all, it's an Extra Virgin Olive Oil, usually unfiltered. It goes through a short settling process that keeps suspended particles of olive pulp and leaves, which enrich its flavor.

Its flavor is bold and peppery, typical of olives picked early in their ripening.

It's also known as “green gold” because it has a greener hue than EVOO harvested later, which is more yellow or golden.

To discover our “Green Gold” Olive Oil, tap here.

Gourmet Extra Virgin Olive Oil

A Gourmet Oil has many qualities that set it well above the rest, but here we'll focus on the 3 key differences between Gourmet Oil and other Extra Virgin Olive Oils.

1. The timing of the harvest, at the optimal point of ripeness, putting quality before yield.

2. The selection of the olives, even within the same olive grove, choosing those with the best flavor and properties.

3. Milling, bottling and storage, which matter even more than everything above when the EVOO isn't bought freshly made.

For more on the differences of Gourmet EVOO, click here.