Among the most common varieties we find black, green, Kalamata, Cerignola (typical of Puglia) and Taggiasca olives.
However, not all olives are suitable for the production of extra virgin olive oil; many are grown only to be consumed as table olives.
Among the best known and most used table olives we find:
- Tender Ascolana
- Beauty of Cerignola
- Giaraffa
- Nocellara del Belice
- Saint Catherine
- Saint Augustine
For the production of extra virgin olive oil , the most common are:
- Frantoio olives : These are one of the most widely used varieties for olive oil production in Italy. They are greenish-black in color and have a high polyphenol content, which gives the oil a bitter and spicy flavor.
- Leccino olives : These are a variety of Italian olives, black in color, with a delicate, fruity flavor. They are often used to produce delicate olive oils.
- Arbequina olives : These are a Spanish variety of olives, green or light brown in color. They have a soft, delicate flavor and are often used to produce light, sweet olive oils.
- Koroneiki olives : these are a variety of Greek olives, small and thin-skinned, which produce an oil with an intense green color and a fruity, delicate flavor.
Common olive varieties in Puglia
Puglia, along with Calabria and Sicily, is among the Italian regions with the greatest impact on national oil production, followed by Tuscany, Liguria, Umbria, and Abruzzo.
In addition to its climate and soil, Puglia boasts a rich production thanks to the numerous varieties of olives present.
The best-known Apulian olives (from which the oil itself often takes its name) are:
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Coratina : from centuries-old olive trees, Coratina is the most widespread olive variety in Puglia, in fact representing around 60% of the regional production .
Coratina olives are large, elongated, and deep green in color. The extra virgin olive oil produced from this variety is characterized by a fruity flavor and a medium-intensity spiciness, with hints of grass and leaves; - Ogliarola : an early-ripening olive variety that produces a delicate oil. Ogliarola olives are medium-sized and spherical, with thin skin and a golden-green color ;
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Leccino : This is an olive variety native to Tuscany, but also grown in Puglia, although it isn't indigenous. Leccino olives are medium-sized and oval-shaped, with a thin, black-purple skin.
The extra virgin olive oil produced with this variety is characterised by a delicate flavour and a sweet taste. -
Picholine : this too is not a native variety, in fact it comes from France but is also successfully grown in Puglia.
Picholine olives are small and elongated in shape, with a thin green-yellow skin.
The extra virgin olive oil produced with this variety is characterized by a fruity flavor and a slightly spicy taste. - Cellina di Nardò : a native olive variety from Puglia, grown primarily in the Nardò area. Cellina di Nardò olives are small and oval in shape, with thin skin and a golden-green color. The olive oil produced from this variety is characterized by a delicate flavor.
Frantoio D'Orazio uses the following cultivars: Coratina, Leccino, Picholine, Olivastro, Cima di Mola, Cima di Melfi, Simona and Nociara.
Monocultivar and multicultivar oils
Within this vast selection of olives, the varieties of olives used for oil production are referred to as cultivars .
Research says that today there are 700 varieties of olives spread throughout the world which make olive-growing areas unique .
This rich variety creates unique aromas and flavors linked to the recognizability of the area of origin and the varietal imprint inherent in the DNA of the individual olive tree.
Of all these cultivars, approximately two hundred contribute to characterizing olive growing (for oil or table) throughout the Italian peninsula.
To produce an oil, you can choose whether to use just one typology or more, thus giving rise to monocultivar (or monovarietal) oils and multicultivar oils .
What's the difference? It's very simple: monocultivar oils are obtained from a single olive variety, while multicultivar oils are obtained from different olive varieties harvested together.
What are multicultivar oils?
Multicultivar oils have a more complex organoleptic profile: taste and aroma are in fact influenced by the different varieties of olives used.
The resulting olive oil or preserve has a more complex and nuanced flavor and aroma, reflecting the characteristics of the different varieties used in the blend. Furthermore, growing different olive varieties in the same area can contribute to greater genetic diversity and greater plant resistance to disease.
In recent years, the production of oils from multicultivar olives has become increasingly popular among producers of high-quality extra virgin olive oil and table olives, as they can offer a more interesting and distinctive product.
Generally, a multicultivar oil can be used raw as a finishing touch for dressing salads, vegetables, meat and fish, but it can also be used during cooking or for frying.
Characterized by a particularly aromatic complexity, multicultivar oil is often appreciated by those who love to taste oil at its most simple: toasted bread and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
What are monocultivar oils?
Monocultivar oils, on the other hand, come from a single variety of olive tree, rather than from different varieties mixed together.
This allows us to obtain an olive oil or olive preserve that reflects the specific characteristics of the variety used, in terms of taste, aroma and colour.
The final product will have a unique flavor and aromatic profile, reflecting the organoleptic properties of the olive variety used.
Oils produced from single-variety olives are considered high-quality, highly prized by olive oil and table olive producers seeking to enhance the specific characteristics of a particular olive variety.
However, growing only one olive variety in a given area can also be more agronomically risky, as a specific disease or pest could affect the entire crop.
Monocultivar oil is used in cooking to enhance the flavor of dishes.
Let's see some examples based on quality:
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- an extra virgin olive oil obtained from Leccino olives has a sweet and fruity flavour and is particularly suitable for seasoning salads, vegetables and fish-based dishes;
- an extra virgin olive oil obtained from Coratina olives , it has a more intense and spicy flavour and is ideal for seasoning red meats, mature cheeses and robust dishes.
What is meant by blend?
The term blend comes from an English word and is used to describe blending, or the ability to combine basic elements of excellence to obtain a final product of the highest quality and with sensory characteristics that are very different and more complex than the individual components of the "blend": extra virgin olive oil.
Creating the right blend takes years of experience and practice: the most suitable elements (the different extra virgin olive oils) must be expertly combined and it is important to know that not all oils are suitable for being part of a blend.
For more information, we recommend reading our article on what blending is.
