Extra virgin olive oil is one of the most useful, healthy substances on earth. Eating just two tablespoons a day can help prevent heart problems, cancer, and even Alzheimer’s.
But that’s assuming you have real EVOO, which… you probably don’t. And you might have paid the mafia for the knockoff sitting on your shelf.
Kate, now an olive oil obsessive, enlightens Larkin on the incredible history and science behind olive oil, before discussing the issue of oil fraud that plagues the industry. Then, she gives some tips on how to find good oil from Tom Mueller, author of Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil.
Plus, she and Larkin discuss the uncomfortable romanticization of the mafia.
We want to emphasize that we are NOT trying to turn you off olive oil! We just want to help you maximize the benefits by making sure you find the good stuff.
References
Tom Mueller, Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, Atlantic Books, 2012
Tom’s article in the New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/08/13/slippery-business
Tom’s Website: https://www.tommueller.co/extravirginigy
https://www.oliveoiltimes.com/world/mafia-olive-oil-on-60-minutes/50203
https://www.oliveoilsource.com/info/history-of-the-olive
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/celebrations/article/hanukkah
https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/what-are-free-radicals-a-dietitian-explains.h00-159699912.html
https://history.state.gov/countries/italy
https://time.com/4788671/hunger-italy-food-culture/
https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2025/05/08/olive-oil-a-major-target-for-food-fraud/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mafia
https://people.howstuffworks.com/mafia.htm#pt1
https://kottke.org/07/11/the-mafias-ten-commandments
https://theweek.com/crime/italian-mafia-why-is-murder-and-extortion-going-out-of-fashion
Toxic Oil Syndrome: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1240833/
Get Gotti on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/watch/81712582
Fear City: New York vs. The Mafia on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80218338
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