num_pages: 238
description: The sacred history and profane present of a substance long seen as the essence of health and civilization.For millennia fresh olive oil has been one of life's necessities-not just as food but also as medicine a beauty aid and a vital element of religious ritual. Today's researchers are continuing to confirm the remarkable life-giving properties of true extra-virgin and extra-virgin Italian has become the highest standard of quality.But what if this symbol of purity has become deeply corrupt? Starting with an explosive article in The New Yorker Tom Mueller has become the world's expert on olive oil and olive oil fraud-a story of globalization deception and crime in the food industry from ancient times to the present and a powerful indictment of today's lax protections against fake and even toxic food products in the United States. A rich and deliciously readable narrative Extra Virginity is also an inspiring account of the artisanal producers chemical analysts chefs and food activists who are defending the extraordinary oils that truly deserve the name extra-virgin.
language: English
title: Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil
publisher: W. W. Norton & Company