Differentiation between table and oil olives
As a rule, olives are differentiated according to table and oil types. Table olives are intended for consumption and have the smallest possible core, whereas types of oil are grown to have a high oil content. However, all varieties ripen black, the green olives are only harvested before they are finally ripe. Olives grow all over the Mediterranean, but also in California, Argentina, South Africa and Australia. The plant prefers a dry, Mediterranean climate, which, however, must not be too cold or too hot.
also read
- The older the olive, the more gnarled the trunk
- Olives - aromatic, healthy and versatile
- Why producers often color olives black - and how you can expose this sham
Spanish varieties of olives
Spain is by far the largest olive producer, there are around 200 to 250 different olive producers from this region alone Varieties of olives known.
The main Spanish varieties
- Arbequina
- Gordal
- Hojiblanca
- Manzanilla
- Picual
The most important edible olives include Gordal, Hojiblanca and Manzanilla olives. Oil fruits of the "Gordal" variety are also known as "Queen olives" or "Queen olives" because of their size and mild taste. "Jumbo-Olive" offered. The manzanilla olives are also very large, as their name ("little apple") indicates. Olives of the "Hojiblanca" variety come from sun-drenched Andalusia and should not be missing on any tapas platter there.
Italian varieties of olives
There is an even greater variety of varieties in Italy than in Spain, where an estimated 440 different olives are known. They differ in appearance, size and taste. In Sicily, for example, “Frantoio”, “Leccio” or “Cipressino” are grown. In the north-western Italian coastal region of Liguria, on the other hand, “Taggiasca” is at home. The variety is characterized by a fine olive fragrance with a mild fruit aroma. The aftertaste of almonds and pine nuts is also mild. The olive varieties "Coratina" and "Ogliorola" come from the Apulia region.
Greek varieties of olives
Greece is not only considered the home of democracy, but also the country of origin of cultivated oil crops. Brought many millennia ago Presumably the Sumerians brought the wild olive to the Mediterranean area, so the Greeks cultivated the oil crop into a high-yielding crop. Even today there are around 20 million olive trees on the island of Crete alone. Popular Greek olive varieties are the very aromatic Kalamata, Konservolia and the Koroneiki oil, whose oil has a delicate, harmonious scent and a light lemon aroma.
Other growing areas
The type of oil "Cailletier" comes from the south of France, and its oil has a fresh, fine nut taste. Like “Aglandou”, it is self-fertilizing. "Aglandou" tolerates Incidentally, light frost very good. The varieties "Edremit" and "Gemlik", which are primarily processed into oil, come from Turkey. Other olive varieties come from North Africa, with Tunisia in particular being one of the largest producers outside the European Union, from Croatia, Syria and Israel. Both outside the Mediterranean region The existing plantations are not their own varieties, but merely exports.
Tips & Tricks
In addition to the listed oil and edible olives, there are also numerous wild species and Subspecies. For the Growing a bonsai olive the wild olive tree, also oleaster (Olea europaea ssp. Sylvestris). This tree or shrub has a picturesque, gnarled appearance.
