This is a piece I’ve been meaning to do for ages and have even started it a couple of times. The biggest problem is where to start and where to finish. I’ve been using olive oil more and more as the years go on and can’t imagine my restaurant kitchen without the stuff.

Olive oil, the world’s most commonly eaten monounsaturated oil, has been around for thousands of years, in and around the Mediterranean. Not only does it taste good, but there is a glut of evidence that a lifestyle where olive oil is commonly used is associated with longer life and fewer of the diseases associated with Western and central Asian eating patterns.

Most people in Europe have cleaned themselves up over the past 10 years and are using less and less animal fats. Most of the really heavily saturated fats are now known to be unhealthy.

In India, on the other hand, many diets still use excessive amounts of refined oil, butter, ghee, cream and cheese. Don’t get me wrong. I also adore butter and those unpasteurised full-fat cheeses that you rarely see here, but everything has to be in moderation.

In recent years, medical researchers have turned their attention to the virtues of Mediterranean-style eating and olive oil. Olive oil has proved to be more than just a source of monounsaturated fat. It is also rich in antioxidants. These substances are attracting loads of attention.

There is no one Mediterranean Diet. The cuisine of countries such as Greece, Italy, Spain, southern France, Turkey and Morocco are all different. But each includes cereals (mostly bread, but also pasta, couscous, rice, cracked wheat); fruit — fresh and dried; a vast amount of quickly cooked, grilled, pan fried, steamed and raw vegetables; garlic, large quantities of fresh herbs; nuts; fish and seafood and of course, red wine and olive oil.

Most foods are bought and eaten fresh, and red wine is served with the mid-day and evening meals. Consumption of dairy products such as cheese and yoghurt is high, but milk and butter are low and meat is eaten in small amounts, with sugary foods being kept for special occasions. Most of the fat comes from olive oil and nuts, and is mainly monounsaturated fat.

The problems of saturated fats attracted world attention in the 50s and 60s. It was learnt that the more saturated fat different populations ate, the greater the number of deaths came from heart disease.

Olive oil is thought to be the magic bullet of nutrition. One or two teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil in most meals should do the trick. The key to getting the best out of olive oil is to try to use it directly over cooked foods and salads as if you heat it to too high a temperature, all good elements that you want to get from olive oil will be lost.

Olive oil is made up of fatty acids, vitamins, microscopic bits of olive and other water soluble components. Now this water-soluble bit is something that should interest you the most and a thing that scientists hardly ever talk about.

Extra virgin olive oil is from the first pressing of the stones, virgin from the second and olive oil from the third. Obviously virgin olive oil has the most nutrients.When it comes to choosing olive oil, for general use, stick to the basic olive oil. If you are really looking for that really strong flavour of olive oil, then use extra virgin but it really is very intense and almost swamps any other flavour you put near it. I’m not such a big fan of extra virgin olive oil unless it’s used in a simple salad or pasta or used for marinating, let’s say feta cheese and maybe antipasti items but if you want to take olive oil off the end of a spoon, like a medicine, then the virginal stuff is the one for you.

Are you an olive oil fan? Tell t2@abpmail.com