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Answer: Asia Minor

Wild olives are thought to have been native to Asia Minor (the region where Turkey is now) and/or Greece. There is evidence that wild olives were being used by residents in these areas over 10,000 years ago. It is not clear where and when they were first domesticated, and modern olives seem to be descended from multiple wild origins, according to DNA analysis. Amphorae, jars to hold olive oil, that were in use around 3500 BCE have been founding Crete, which was an important source for spreading their use around the entire Mediterranean area.

In the early 21st century, Greece is the country with the highest per capita consumption of olive oil (roughly 26L a year, compared to a world average of 0.5L in 2005), but it is Spain that leads the world in production - nearly half of all commercial olive oil comes from Spain, primarily from the region of Andalucia.

Answer: True

All olives belong to the species Olea europaea, but there is a wide variety of cultivars. Just as the characteristics of a wine depend on the type or types of grape used in its production, so too are the qualities of olive oil affected by the choice of olive.

Some olives are primarily used for eating, while others are more commonly used to produce oil. Colour (ranging from green to yellow), taste, clarity, and the presence of various chemicals associated with possible health benefits (such as oleocanthal) are all variable. Since most oil produced in any region uses the same or similar cultivars, olive oils tend to be described with regional names, and the oils from different regions do show significant differences.

Answer: Grinding them to a paste

Olives are crushed whole, skins and pits included, although some producers have explored the viability of removing the pits first. Traditionally this has been done with millstones, such as the one pictured. Millstones are sometimes still used in modern production - they are very effective in squashing the oil-containing cells in the fruit, while minimizing damage to the skins and pits, both of which can introduce unwanted flavours into the final product.

Answer: Malaxation

Maxalation means mixing. It used to be carried out in large bowl-shaped containers such as those shown (or the paste could just stay in the mill, but that slows down the production process). Modern factories usually use horizontal troughs with spiral blades that rotate to blend the olives. Maxalation usually takes about half an hour after grinding - too long can lead to oxidation of the oil, and a poorer final flavour. During this stage, water may be added to increase the oil yield.

The mixture may also be heated, but this is generally considered to make the resulting oil an inferior quality - it damages the polyphenols which give the oil its distinctive flavour, as well as the antioxidants and vitamins it contains. Cold extraction, in which the temperature is not allowed to rise above 25 C (77 F), is considered to produce a superior product, and the term 'cold pressed' is often used on labels to indicate this.

Answer: Olive press

The paste is spread onto circular fibre mats which are then stacked inside the cylindrical press. When it is full, pressure is applied by means of a screw mechanism that presses down, squeezing out the oil and water, leaving the solid residue behind to be scraped off the mats. The oil and water are then separated by physical means - since oil is less dense than water, the two liquids form separate layers on standing. Modern facilities usually use a centrifuge to separate the components much more quickly than is possible using gravity alone.

The final stages of production may include racking the oil (letting it stand to further separate any water) and filtering to remove any residual particulate matter.

Answer: Yes, but it must be labeled as olive pomace oil

The solid residue is called pomace, the same term used to describe the solid residue in winemaking. Treatment with solvents such as hexane and applying heat can extract significant amounts of the residual oil, which may be up to 8% of the total oil from a batch of olives. While this results in perfectly edible oil, the mystique of the olive holds sway, and the oil cannot be simply labeled as 'olive oil' without any qualifier - that label can only be applied to oils which have had no chemicals involved in their production. This standard applies in most parts of the world - all EU countries, where most olive oil is produced, adhere to the policy. In other places, it may be allowed to be marketed as olive oil if the label also clearly states the country of origin - the IOC doesn't want confidence in their product's quality undermined by this labeling.

The image in this question actually shows tapenade, a dish made from chopped olives - nobody seems keen to share pictures of the solid dregs produced during oil production!

Answer: It was produced using mechanical processing only

All of the options may be true, but the only thing that is guaranteed by the term 'virgin' is mechanical processing without any chemicals other than water. The exact quality of the oil depends on the type of olive used and how it was processed - the length of time and exact temperature in the milling and malaxation stages can make a significant difference in the result.

Answer: It must be dark green in color

The acidity of olive oil is not acidity as most people think of it - the sourness of lemon juice, for example. Rather, it refers to the relative amount of free organic acids in the oil. Since the oil starts as triglyceride esters of various organic acids (including oleic acid, which is measured in the standard acidity test), the presence of free acid molecules indicates that the oil is breaking down in a process called hydrolysis.

This occurs more rapidly at high temperatures, which is why processing temperatures are kept low. Since low temperature means slower processing, the oil is exposed to the air for a longer time, and oxidation due to contact with the air can also cause the oil molecules to break down.

The balance is part of the trick to manufacturing excellent olive oil.

Answer: Refined olive oil

Refining refers to physical and/or chemical treatment that removes impurities from the oil, and improves its qualities. In places under the control of the IOC, no solvents can be used, but both physical and chemical filters can be used. Olive oil is a complex mixture of chemicals, and analysis to determine exactly what needs to be removed or adjusted is done to decide on the appropriate refining process to be applied.

This process often removes many of the ingredients that contribute to the flavour and aroma, leading to a blander oil which is more to the taste of some people.

It can also reduce the antioxidant and vitamin content of the oil, possibly reducing the associated health benefits from consumption of olive oil.

Answer: No

In Australia, the terms Pure, Light and Extra-Light all refer to refined oils. The Light and Extra-Light have been refined to have a lighter flavour (and colour), making them more suitable for uses such as in baking, when the strong flavour of a virgin olive oil seems intrusive (at least to some). There is no low calorie olive option at this time - sometimes, oils is oils.