From Algae Oil To High-Phenolic Olive Oil: Here Are Our Newest Cooking + Drizzling Staples

So much is happening in the "oil space" right now. From non-toxic seed oil alternatives to medicinal olive oil that may as well replace your daily supplement regimen, there are a multitude of brands taking over our local Erewhon shelves with high-quality, beautifully packaged cooking and drizzling oils that can be used—yes—as kitchen staples, but also as wellness essentials.

We tried a whole spectrum of oils taking the zeitgeist by storm, and landed on the below 6 as our new favorites—each one serving something totally different.

ALGAE OIL COOKING CLUB COOKING OIL | Algae is on a serious come-up with a whole host of anti-aging, immune-boosting, digestive benefits (sea moss, anyone?). However, absolutely no one saw Algae Oil coming as a nutritious seed oil alternative. Algae Oil Cooking Club is the first of its kind, producing a flavorless cooking oil that has a roughly 125 °F higher smoke point than olive oil, 5x the oxidative stability of avocado oil, and an hefty amount of healthy Omega-9 fats.

This novel oil is produced through a a process of fermenting microalgae without blending or chemicals. Better yet, it has half the carbon footprint that avocado oil does and comes in a completely recyclable aluminum bottle. Earth (and Eleven Madison Park Chef Daniel Humm)-approved!

HERACLEA's THE AEGEAN FLAVORS COLLECTION | There are a couple of things you want to look for when you're in search of a high-quality, delicious olive oil—origin, harvest date, and certifications. Heraclea checks all of our boxes with their latest Aegean Flavors Collection. Made from Protection Designation of Origin-certified Memecik olive oils harvested in 2023 in the Aegean, this exclusive collection combines premium early harvest, extra virgin olive oil with the iconic flavors that define Aegean and Anatolian cuisine.

With robust flavors spanning a variety of use cases and palate preferences, the Garlic, Lemon, Rosemary, and Chili-Infused Olive Oils can be used to enhance any dish—from salads to roasts to pizza. The only challenge with this collection is that every flavor profile left us wanting to book a ticket to the Mediterranean immediately.

KYOORD High-Phenolic Olive Oil | We recently interviewed jewelry designer Jennifer Fisher, who revealed one of her favorite condiments was Kyoord High-Phenolic Olive Oil. Given that whatever is good enough for Jennifer is good enough for us, we had to know more. What we discovered was that Kyoord was founded by Dr. Limor Goren, a cancer researcher and molecular biologist, who is passionate about leveraging olive oil's high-phenolic content as a preventative health measure.

While you can opt to use Kyoord's High-Phenolic Olive Oil in your everyday cooking, baking, drizzling, or dipping, it also serves as an incredibly nutritious source of anti-inflammatory antioxidants, also known as polyphenols. With 4-6 times more polyphenols than the average olive oil, we found ourselves taking one tablespoon every night before bed, or opting to pour in a teaspoon or two into our smoothies for an extra skin-loving boost.

ZERO ACRE FARMS CULTURED OIL | Zero Acre Farms is determined to put seed oils back into the ground (figuratively). Unlike the Algae Oil Cooking Club that is fermenting microalgae to produce oil, Zero Acre's Cultured Oil relies on fermenting rain-fed sugarcane plants to produce cooking oil while using 99% less water than most olive oils and 87% less land than canola oil. This all-purpose cooking oil has an incredibly high smoke point (up to 485°F) and is made up of about 93% monounsaturated fat, 4% saturated fat, and 3% polyunsaturated fat, making it a health-supporting replacement for your conventional cooking oil.

Determined to bring better seed oil alternatives to the masses, Zero Acre is going one step further and partnering with major culinary brands like Shake Shack to plant a new seed of health, sustainability, and quality.

BRIGHTLAND LIMITED EDITION CASTELVETRANO | We like to think of Brightland as the OG of high-end, looks-good-on-your-kitchen-counter olive oil brand. "She paved the way for you!" we proclaim to all of the other brands out there. But just because Brightland was one of the most popular firsts doesn't mean it isn't still growing an expanding.

Their latest, single-estate Limited Edition Castelvetrano Extra Virgin Olive Oil is one of the more flavorfully robust in the Brightland collection—sourced directly from the mountains of Sicily, serving as an ideal finishing touch for any pasta dish (or avocado toast, which is why we like to use it).

SINGLE & FAT EVOO | Bow down to the naming Queens and Kings of Single & Fat. We first noticed this "too cool for school" olive oil on our latest Erewhon adventure and couldn't figure out if we wanted their Vol. 1, Batch I Olive Oil as an ornament in our kitchen or if we were willing to open the stellar packaging and taste what was inside.

Don't get it twisted: Just because the packaging is fun doesn't mean the product isn't serious. Single & Fat is certified organic olive oil batched from farms in Latina, Italy with a polyphenol count between 450-550 mg/kg (anything over 250 is considered to be high in polyphenols). Its buttery, peppery flavor combo made it the perfect, versatile add on for basically everything we could find in our fridge and pantry.

The post From Algae Oil To High-Phenolic Olive Oil: Here Are Our Newest Cooking + Drizzling Staples appeared first on The Chalkboard.

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