Most "extra virgin" olive oil on grocery store shelves isn't what you think it is.

Studies have shown that up to 70% of imported olive oils labeled "extra virgin" in the US fail to meet the international standards for that grade. They're cut with cheaper seed oils, deodorized to mask defects, or simply old and oxidized by the time they reach your kitchen.

Here's what real EVOO should taste like:

• Peppery finish that makes you cough slightly (that's the polyphenols — the good stuff)

• Grassy, herbaceous, or fruity aroma when you open the bottle

• Bright green to golden color, never pale yellow

3 ways to spot the real thing:

1. Check the harvest date, not just the "best by" date. Real producers are proud of when it was pressed.

2. Look for a specific origin — "Product of Italy" means nothing. You want a specific region: Puglia, Sicily, Tuscany.

3. Pay more than $10. A liter of genuine EVOO costs the producer more than that to make. If it's cheap, it's not real.

At Casa Italiana, every item we source comes directly from small Italian producers we've visited personally. Single origin. Current harvest. No shortcuts.

If you've never tasted the difference, you owe it to yourself to try.