Unlike refined oils, extra virgin olive oil is mechanically extracted without the refining processes used to produce many other cooking oils.
That matters nutritionally. New Zealand’s Heart Foundation says cold-pressed extra virgin oils retain more nutrients and antioxidants than refined oils, as well as more of their original flavour and colour. Olive oil is also high in monounsaturated fat. The foundation’s April 2026 position statement recommends plant oils such as olive, canola and sunflower in place of saturated animal fats such as butter.
The qualities that make EVOO prized, however, have also helped fuel the belief it is too delicate to cook with.
What about its smoke point?
An oil’s smoke point is the temperature at which it begins visibly smoking.
Overheating oil isn’t a good idea. Once oil is burning and smoking, degradation is occurring and unwanted compounds can be produced. But that applies to cooking oils generally, not uniquely to EVOO. The Heart Foundation advises avoiding overheating and reusing cooking oils.
And EVOO’s reputation for having an unusually low smoke point doesn’t stack up particularly well either.
According to the University of California Davis Olive Centre, olive oils generally start smoking somewhere between about 175C and 240C, depending on their quality, freshness and grade – meaning good-quality EVOO can comfortably handle most everyday cooking temperatures.
Smoke point also isn’t the only measure of how well an oil withstands heat. A 2018 laboratory study of 10 commercial cooking oils found EVOO produced the lowest level of polar compounds after heating, and concluded that smoke point alone did not predict how an oil performed under the study conditions.
You might lose some flavour but that olive oil is still a good choice for light frying.
But doesn’t cooking destroy the good stuff?
Here the myth contains a kernel of truth.
Heating EVOO does reduce some of its polyphenols – antioxidant plant compounds that contribute to its nutritional properties.
A 2020 study designed to replicate ordinary domestic sauteing found total polyphenol content fell by about 40% when EVOO was heated at 120C and 75% at 170C compared with the raw oil. Temperature was more influential than cooking time.
That’s substantial. But “loses some beneficial compounds” is different from “becomes unhealthy”. The researchers found the cooked oil still met the parameters behind the European health claim for olive-oil polyphenols.
If you aim to extract every possible polyphenol from a particularly good EVOO, keeping some raw for drizzling makes sense. It doesn’t follow that cooking with it is bad for you.
Does New Zealand olive oil have an advantage?
For Kiwi shoppers, there is an interesting local wrinkle.
Market surveillance by Callaghan Innovation compared the quality and composition of New Zealand EVOOs with international oils. The Heart Foundation’s 2026 position statement says the testing found New Zealand olive oil contained more polyphenols and monounsaturated fats than the imported European olive oils tested. It also notes New Zealand and Australian oils are likely to be fresher.
That doesn’t mean every New Zealand bottle is automatically superior to every European EVOO. But it does give shoppers a credible reason to consider locally grown oil rather than assuming Mediterranean provenance necessarily equals higher quality.
Freshness matters because olive oil deteriorates with exposure to heat, light and air. The Heart Foundation recommends storing oil in a cool, dark place, ideally buying it in dark glass or a tin, avoiding stockpiling and using it within 12 months.
How can you tell you’re buying a good NZ EVOO?
One useful shortcut is the red OliveMark seal.
Olives New Zealand’s voluntary certification programme requires oils to undergo chemical and sensory testing and meet standards for extra virgin olive oil before they can carry the seal. OliveMark also guarantees the oil is authentic New Zealand EVOO rather than an imported oil bottled here.
So if you want local EVOO rather than spending time deciphering labels, the red seal is a useful thing to look for.
Three New Zealand EVOOs worth looking for
These aren’t being ranked as the “healthiest” bottles – the available research doesn’t allow that. Rather, each has an independently verifiable quality credential and gives shoppers a concrete place to start.
Olives New Zealand’s voluntary certification programme requires oils to undergo chemical and sensory testing and meet standards for extra virgin olive oil to be certified with an OliveMark seal. These three brands are ones to look out for.
Kāpiti Olives
Kāpiti produces 100% New Zealand EVOO from varieties including leccino, frantoio, picual and koroneiki. All four appear on Olives New Zealand’s list of certified 2025 EVOOs, while the producer says its current oils received silver medals at the 2025 NZ Olive Oil Awards. Kāpiti oils are also stocked at selected New World stores and other retailers.
Divinity Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Another straightforward option for shoppers wanting the OliveMark assurance. Divinity confirms its EVOO carries the Olives NZ red seal, meaning it has undergone chemical and sensory testing. A 500ml bottle was listed at $26.99 at New World when checked, although supermarket prices and availability vary by store.
Loopline Picual
Wairarapa producer Loopline’s 2025 Picual took Best in Show at the 2025 New Zealand Olive Oil Awards. Its new-harvest 2026 Picual is currently $40 for 500ml direct from the producer, and Loopline says all its EVOOs are independently certified to carry the red OliveMark.
So should you fry with your expensive EVOO?
You can. Whether you should is partly a question for your wallet and taste buds.
The Heart Foundation’s current New Zealand guidance says extra virgin olive and avocado oils – particularly New Zealand and Australian varieties – can be used for high-temperature cooking. But because they cost more, it suggests you may prefer to save them for drizzling over pasta or salad, where their flavour and aroma are more noticeable.
Cheaper oils it recommends for high-temperature cooking include canola, high-oleic sunflower, rice bran and refined light olive oil.
And that is where this particular kitchen myth has become muddled.
“You shouldn’t cook with expensive extra virgin olive oil because you may lose some of what makes it special” is reasonable culinary advice.
“You shouldn’t cook with extra virgin olive oil because heat makes it unhealthy or toxic” isn’t supported by the evidence.
Your best bottle may still taste better splashed over tomatoes than disappearing into a frying pan. But you don’t need to fear the frying pan.
Herald contributor Nikki Birrell has worked in food and travel publishing for nearly 20 years.
Dining and Cooking