English
Español
Nederlands
Deutsch
Français
Olive oil is part of the Spanish tradition. It is made in several regions and they use it in almost every dish. The ingredient is used to add flavours, to dress salads and to fry food. Another fact is that the Spaniards are the second biggest olive oil consumers worldwide, just right after Greece.
Olive trees were originally spread from Armenia to Palestine 6.000 years ago. Later on they were spread further to Europe. It were the Romans that have enlarged the area with olive trees. They used this ‘smooth gold’ for cooking, but also as fuel and in thermal baths. They rubbed themselves in oil (soap didn’t exist yet) so afterwards the dander could fall of and their skin would be revitalised.
Thanks to the Moors, better cultivation and production techniques were created. It is because of them that today we are still able to visit nice olive groves in Spain.
Spain is one of the world’s biggest supplier of olive oil each. The country makes about 1.2 million tonnes of it a year! Spain has some of the oldest olive trees and loads of experts can be found in its country. Thanks to the warm climate in Aragón, Andalucía and Catalonia, the olives get a fine taste.
If you visit Spain, you will find many sorts of olives, about 200! Unfortunately, not every type of olive is suited to make olive oil. About 24 types are used in the production of olive oil, each has a different gorgeous flavour. They are excellent to usee for cooking. Underneath you will find some of them.
You can find this type all over Andalucia (Sevilla, Granada, Málaga and Córdoba). The Hojiblanca got his name because of its white leaves. The taste is extraordinary. When you bite the olive, the first thing you will taste is a sweet taste, but after a while the taste will remind you of pepper. This olive is used to make the Hojiblanca olive oil.
Another Andalucian olive is the Picudo. It is a dark coloured olive with a pointed tip. This type can be found in Córdoba, Granada, Málaga and Jaén. The Picudo is very loved for its aromatic taste. The Picudo olive oil can be found all over Andalusia as well.
The Lechín de Sevilla is the olive type that can be found the most in Andalusia, most of them in Sevilla. This green, peppery, bitter olives are used to create an extra-virgin olive oil, which is very fruity.
The oil can also be used to replace butter. It has the same amount of calories and is the most nutrient-rich. Furthermore, it is the healthiest fat you can imagine.
Even though it is hard to believe, it is known that olive trees live up to 600 years. Spain is home to some of the oldest in the world. If you would like to visit an olive museum, we recommend you to visit the Museo de la cultura del olivo. It is situated in a typical Andalusian farm, 8 kilometres from Baeza.
Olive oil and olives can be found everywhere in Seville, but where can you find the local products? Because Seville is very traditional, you will find loads of mercado’s as we call them in Spain. This simply means markets. Indoor markets. Those are the best. There are 2 very good ones actually. One in the city, Mercado de la Encarnacion and one in Triana, Mercado de Triana.
Olive oil can not only be used for cooking, it has also other benefits. A lot of Spaniards use it to make their skin softer and more elastic. The olive oil soap is rich of Antioxidants and is super moisturizing. The soap bars are hard and lather slower than others, so they last longer and are better for the environment.
In stead of using conditioner to make your hair softer, you can also use olive oil. It is a natural treatment which repairs the hair and reduces the knots.
If you are curious to know more about Spain and its olive trees, don’t hesitate to visit us and admire some of oldest olive trees in the world!