Polyphenols, briefly

The number on the side of a Casal Olives Verde bottle reads "polyphenols 412 mg/kg." Most people glance at it and assume it's a marketing flourish.

It's not. Here's what it actually means.

Polyphenols are the antioxidant compounds in the oil that produce the bitter, peppery sensation at the back of your throat. They're the reason high-quality oil makes you cough a little. The European Food Safety Authority recognises that olive oil polyphenols above 250 mg/kg "contribute to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress."

The numbers, in context:

- Mass-market Italian oil: typically 50–150 mg/kg.
- A serious extra-virgin: 200–300 mg/kg.
- Premium early-harvest: 400+ mg/kg.
- Our Verde: 412.
- Our Riserva: 580.

Above 400, the oil keeps for longer (a year on the shelf instead of six months) and the throat-burn finish is more pronounced. Above 600 you're into single-cultivar Tuscan Coratina territory, which is genuinely intense.

What does that mean in your kitchen? At 412, Verde is for raw use — salads, finishing, dipping. The peppery finish is what you want there. At 286, Maturo is gentler; you can cook with it. At 580, Riserva is best on a piece of bread you're going to eat slowly.