AOVE is the acronym for Aceite de Oliva Virgen Extra (Extra Virgin Olive Oil). It is the extra virgin olive oil that has been around all our lives in Spain.
It is a term that has become much more widespread in recent years. I started seeing it on the menus of some higher-end restaurants, used as an addition to the name of certain dishes: "Oven-baked sea bass with Arbequina AOVE". I remember having dinner with my sister-in-law and asking the waiter what "AOVE" meant. She was a little disappointed with the answer.
Later, another acquaintance of mine assured me that AOVE was the name of a specific extra virgin olive oil brand.
I believe the use of the term AOVE is a reflection of the term EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil), widely used in the United States, mainly by olive oil producers and experts in California.
In the English-speaking world, people are very fond of acronyms, and olive oil has been no exception.
Given the great influence of English, EVOO has become widely used internationally: EVOO contests, EVOO rankings, etc.
In Spain, there are already many companies dedicated to producing and marketing extra virgin olive oils that include AOVE in their name.
So now you know: whenever you hear or read the term AOVE, you will know what it is and what it means.
So does AOVE simply mean olive oil?
Well, since AOVE means "Aceite de Oliva Virgen Extra" (Extra Virgin Olive Oil), an AOVE must meet the requirements for an oil to be classified as Extra Virgin. You can find them here.
The best thing about AOVE: types
The best thing about the acronym AOVE is the great amount of time it saves when writing about the different types of extra virgin olive oil. This means you can talk about an Arbequina AOVE, an early-harvest AOVE, an unfiltered AOVE or an AOVE from a particular Protected Designation of Origin. You can find out more about types of AOVE here.
The new trendy acronym in extra virgin olive oil: AOVEE
The meaning of AOVEE would be "Aceite de Oliva Virgen Extra Ecológico" (Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil).
I don't know whether it will catch on, but if it does, I suppose it will be in written form because it is almost impossible to pronounce when spoken.
In the English-speaking world, it would be OEVOO, "Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil". I think that is also impossible to pronounce in English. (At least when I try it with my best possible English accent, it feels as though my jaw is about to come unhinged. Give it a try and your maxillofacial specialist may be delighted to see you in their office.)