What has long intrigued me and what has never been explained despite representations to a number of producers, is how anything at all, let alone olive oil, could ever be construed and titled as “extra” virgin?

For isn’t this a case of virgin’ on the ridiculous or rather a clever marketing ploy to simply charge more for a product by applying this grandiose pre-addition to virgin olive oil as in... extra? I understand that this process referred to as “extra” virgin olive oil is the first cold pressing of the olives that then produces this delicious and nutritious product but by definition anything described as virgin is untouched or not yet used. So how can “extra” then realistically be applied to further enhance such a description or definition for one can only dip one’s feet into a river for the first time on one occasion only, surely?

Is there anyone out there who can shed some light on my confusion or offer a factual – plausible would be acceptable – explanation as to why this “extra” may be truly applied to virgin olive oil?

Notwithstanding the fact that this olive oil is invariably delicious, with the Maltese producers’ variety excellent and best of all, the only extra I can see is in the price charged (when compared to “regular” virgin olive oil) and the fact that such a product title and price difference is so readily accepted and unquestioned by consumers.