How to choose the best olive oil in Malaysia

The olive oil shelf in Malaysia runs from RM25 bottles to RM350 ones. Price alone tells you nothing. Here is a checklist you can apply to any brand.

1. 1.Grade: make sure it is extra virgin, not "pure", "light" or pomace.
2. 2.Free acidity: is a figure stated? The extra virgin limit is 0.8%, so lower is better.
3. 3.Origin: one country for the fruit, not just where it was bottled.
4. 4.Date: look for a harvest season, not only a best-before two years out.
5. 5.Certification: real body names — Ecocert, USDA Organic, EU Organic, and for halal, recognised by JAKIM.
6. 6.Packaging: dark glass or a tin, not clear plastic.

On price

Genuine extra virgin olive oil is expensive to produce: the fruit must be picked at the right moment, pressed quickly, and handled carefully. Very cheap oil has usually saved money on one of those steps, or it is not fully extra virgin. That does not mean the most expensive is always best — compare the numbers, not just the price.

If you only have time for one question, ask this: what is the free acidity, and can I see the report?