I am often asked for a green olive oil with the implication that a greener olive oil is better than a light or clear olive oil. This is indeed not the case and a false perception that should be dispelled. In fact at competitions around the world when judges are tasked with evaluation the quality of olive oil, they use a coloured glass so that they are not influenced by the colour of the oil.
Extra virgin olive oil can range in color from bright green to golden yellow, depending on the type of olives used and their ripeness when harvested. Color is not a reliable indicator of quality, as some high-quality olive oils can be lighter in color and some lower-quality oils can be darker. The main factors affecting the quality of extra virgin olive oil are its taste, aroma, and chemical properties such as free fatty acid content and the absence of defects. The only way to determine the quality of extra virgin olive oil is by having it evaluated by a professional taster or by chemical analysis.
In summary a green olive oil could be of great quality or of poor quality and light olive oil can also be of great or poor quality.
