ABSTRACT
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is traditionally used in Mediterranean countries, not only for oil dressing (raw use) but widely for food cooking and frying. This chapter provides a brief overview of the interactions of EVOO in Mediterranean foods and to underline some basic molecular keys to explain the ‘magic’ of EVOO and its role in Mediterranean gastronomy. Chemical interactions between EVOO biophenolic compounds and other food ingredients have been investigated. During cooking, EVOO exhibits strong antioxidant properties and influences the overall flavour of cooked foods. The interactions between EVOO used as filling oil and canned tuna muscle allows the preservation of the intake of native n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) present in fresh fish muscle before tuna canning. Another traditional process in the Mediterranean cooking style is marinating meat and fish in oil, wine and herbs (oregano, rosemary) before roasting and the use of an oil–lemon juice or oil–red wine emulsion during the cooking to wet the meat/fish surface.
