When buying olive oil in the store, we usually find labels with the denomination of an olive variety with which the extra virgin olive oil has been made. There are many doubts that customers transmit to us about the organoleptic and pairing peculiarities of each one of them.
We will try to answer your questions in the following article.
What are the main olive varieties?
More than 200 varieties of olives are grown in Spain. Each of them brings unique flavors and aromas. Each of them has different flavor and aroma characteristics. Here are the main varieties.
Picual
- It is the predominant variety in the planet and in the Iberian Peninsula.
- It is located in the provinces of Jaén, Córdoba and Granada.
- It is an elongated, medium-sized olive with a beak in the center.
- EVOO is characterized by herbaceous aromas and bitterness, due to its high content of natural antioxidants.
Hojiblanca
- Its name derives from the whitish color of its leaf, which gives a clarity to the tree.
- It is mainly found in Seville, Cordoba and Malaga.
- It has a double use: as a table olive and olive oil.
- Medium-sized round olive
- The EVOO is characterized by its notes of different field herbs, artichoke, nettle… highlighting a characteristic spiciness.
Cornicabra
- Third in production volume in Spain.
- Originally from Mora de Toledo, it is grown mainly in Toledo, Ciudad Real and Madrid, although it can also be found throughout Extremadura.
- Elongated, asymmetrical and with its characteristic horn shape that gives its name to the variety.
- It has a golden yellow color with slight greenish reflections that anticipate the fruity attribute.
- It presents a harmonious balance between sweetness on entry, bitterness of green leaves and spiciness of medium intensity. The texture of this olive oil is fluid and velvety.
Arbequina
- Originally from Catalonia, specifically in Tarragona and Lérida, its resistance and precocity to adapt to super-intensive cultivation has made it expand rapidly throughout the Iberian Peninsula.
- Small olives and large stone olives
- They are fresh and young oils that due to their composition are more delicate than other varieties against oxidation.
- EVOO is characterized by being predominantly fruity with notes of banana, almond and apple.
