Which Is Correct: "Extra Virgin Olive Oil" or "Virgin Extra Olive Oil"?

During the 1990s, when the definition of the highest-quality category of olive oil was still evolving, the term "extra virgin olive oil" was the most commonly used designation.

Later, and quite logically in our opinion, the preferred Spanish designation became "virgin extra olive oil".

We believe this is the more logical wording because the adjective extra qualifies the adjective virgin, which in turn modifies the noun olive oil. In other words, among all virgin olive oils, those classified as extra are considered to be of the highest quality.

Put another way, all olive oils classified as extra are virgin, but not all virgin olive oils qualify as extra.

Therefore, the correct Spanish designation for the highest-quality category is "virgin extra olive oil", as established in the relevant legislation.

You can verify this by looking at the labels of the vast majority of Spanish extra virgin olive oils, where this designation appears because its inclusion is mandatory.

In any case, both Spanish terms refer to exactly the same product and the same quality standards.

You can learn about the requirements that a virgin olive oil must meet in order to be classified as extra by visiting the following page.

Interestingly, in France the most widely used designation is "huile d'olive extra vierge".

In English, following the conventions of the language, the correct designation is "extra virgin olive oil".