Throughout history, man has used olive oil for a variety of purposes.
Today, olive oil is used above all as a food, both on the table and in the kitchen, and not just among Mediterranean peoples.

Extra virgin olive oil has long been appreciated for its taste when used 'a crudo'.

For cooking, modern nutritional science recommends olive oil that has been purified of the substances that could break down during cooking but one that retains all of the nutritional value of extra virgin oil.