Oil of life: a look at Spain’s world-class olives and olive oils

With a litany of different names and a huge geographical cultivation area that spreads from Castile-La Mancha to Andalusia, Picual is the bedrock of Spanish olives and the most abundant olive variety in the world, grown exclusively to make oil (rather than eat). The flavour of Picual olive oils can vary greatly because of the wide variety of terroirs it grows in, but on the whole Picual oils are hearty and robust, often with a touch of astringency and herbaceous notes like green tomatoes or green almonds.

Picual olive oils are also famously great for cooking, as they hold up to high temperatures better than more delicate oil varieties.

Generally speaking, olives are very bitter and most olive oils reflect that bitterness, but Arbequina olive oil has found a lot of popularity as an extraordinarily fruity olive oil that tends towards sweetness, rather than bitterness. Originally from the Catalan town of Arbeca, hence the name, Arbequina olives are mostly grown in Catalonia and Aragon; the climate here is milder than the deep south of the country and that results in a much mellower, more nuanced olive oil that suits better to dipping and dressing than cooking. You can also eat Arbequina olives – they’re a popular variety because despite being relatively small, they’re packed with meaty, buttery and fruity flavours.

Cornicabra olives are the second most cultivated after Picual. Cornicabra oils are comparable in many ways to those made with Picual olives but they’re generally more intense. The aroma can be a little misleading – they’re often said to smell of Granny Smith apples, but the flavour is pleasingly bitter and peppery. As a result, Cornicabra olives make excellent cooking and dressing oils, with a strong flavour that can stand up to other bold ingredients.

Like Picual olives, Cornicabra are known by many other names – Cornal, Cornatillo, Corniche, Longar and Osnal, most of which refer to the ‘goat horn’ shape of the olive. While the olives themselves are less commonly found for eating, you will often see them on the tables of restaurants in the areas in which the trees grow.

Originally from around Cordoba, Sevilla and Malaga, Hojiblanca olive trees are highly valued because they’re extremely hardy and productive, even in less productive years. In more recent years, Hojiblanca olive oils have become just as lauded, winning a multitude of awards in olive oil competitions across Europe. Hojiblanca oils have a gentler bitterness than Cornicabra and Picual, but they’re also fresh and aromatic with notes of cut grass and green peppercorns. A fantastic all-rounder that can be used for cooking and dressing – definitely worth searching out. The olives themselves also taste fantastic, with a pleasant bittersweet flavour and firm texture.

Though the name is similar, Picudo olives differ from Picuals at first sight – whilst the latter is large and jet black, Picudos have a more reddish hue and a more pointed shape. There are swathes of Picudo trees all over Andalusia, and the oils they make are prized for their aromatic qualities, with flavours of green fruit, apple and olive leaf. The low levels of bitterness also make them an excellent table olive, and they’re grown for eating just as much as they are for oil production.

Empeltre trees are typical of the area around Aragon, but in recent times they have been introduced to the Balearic Islands. These olives (which are grown to be eaten too) make oils that have mild sweetness and bitterness, but also boast an intense fruitiness – Empeltre olive oils are often said to have pronounced apple and almond flavours. The name appears to come from the Catalan word ‘empelt’ which means ‘graft’ – a reference to the fact that Empeltre trees have poor natural root systems, so they are all grafted onto hardier rootstock.

Another widespread Andalusian variety – unsurprisingly common around Sevilla – Lechín olive oils are extremely balanced and well-rounded, walking a line between grassy, peppery and bitter notes. Though Lechín makes very high quality olive oils, they’re not the most common – Lechín trees are not very productive, and the olives have to be hand-picked as they’re not easily harvested by machine. These olives tend to be grown exclusively for olive oil production.