Types of oils and their uses

Extra virgin olive oil
These are the very best oils. Use for dressing salads and cooked vegetables and for finishing soups and pasta dishes. Drizzle over baked or steamed fish and serve with pizzas. Use to marinate meat and fish for the barbecue and to give added flavour to pot roasts, casseroles and roasted vegetables. Serve as dips with crusty bread or raw vegetables.

Olive oil
This is not as expensive as extra virgin olive oil and is an good choice for everyday use. It is also the right oil for deep fat frying and cooking at high temperatures. Its smoke and flash points are the same as other vegetable oils and its vitamin E content allows it to resist breakdown for a longer period than these oils. Use for baking bread, biscuits and carrot cake.

"Light and Mild" oil
This is the oil to choose if you are not too keen on the taste of olive oil but want to make a healthy choice. It is also very useful for recipes such as mayonnaise where too strong a flavour is not suitable.

Olive pomace oil
This is an inexpensive choice for deep-fat and general frying.