Some olive oils, like Picual and Cornicabra, handle high heat better than others—they keep more of their good stuff and make less gunk when cooked.

Some olive oils — like Picual and Cornicabra — hold up better when heated than others, like Arbequina and Manzanilla, because they lose fewer healthy compounds and form less gunk when cooked.

Some types of olive oil — especially Cornicabra and Picual — hold up better when heated than others like Arbequina, meaning they break down less and make less gunk when frying.

When olive oil gets super hot (200°C), it starts forming gummy, sticky molecules called dimers—some oils make way more than others, especially blends high in Arbequina, while Picual makes the least.

When you heat certain types of olive oil really hot, the healthy antioxidant called alpha-tocopherol disappears completely in some kinds, but not as much in others — Picual and Cornicabra oils hold up better.

When you heat olive oil really hot (200°C), the good antioxidants called tocopherols disappear—some oils lose them completely, while others like Picual and Cornicabra keep a little bit left.