Olive Varieties

Oil quantity and quality are highly dependent on the olive variety.

High quality extra virgin olive oils are usually made from a blend of olive varieties in order to balance the flavour components with shelf life. Oil quantity and quality are highly dependent on the olive variety. The best oil varieties in the world have developed their reputation over centuries of production for fruit yields, oil content, flavour, keeping quality, maturity date, and ease of harvest.

Olive Varieties	% Oil	Oil Appreciation	Fruit Size	Polyphenol Content	Primary Country
Arbequina	25-27	very high	small	low	Spain
Aglandaou	23-27	high	medium	medium	France
Ascolano	15-22	high	large	medium	USA
Barouni	13-18	low	large	medium	USA
Bouteillan	20-25	high	medium	medium	France
Chemlali	26-28	high	very small	high	Tunisia
Coratina	23-27	very high	medium	very high	Italy
Cornicabra	23-27	high	medium	very high	Spain
Empeltre	18-25	high	medium	high	Spain
Frantoio	23-26	very high	medium	medium	Italy
Farga	23-27	high	medium	medium	Spain
Koroneiki	24-28	very high	very small	very high	Greece
Leccino	22-27	medium	medium	medium	Italy
Lucca	22-24	medium	medium	medium	USA
Manzanillo	15-26	medium	large	very high	USA
Maurino	20-25	medium	medium	high	Italy
Mission	19-24	medium	medium	medium	USA
Moraiolo	18-28	medium	small	very high	Italy
Pendolino	20-25	medium	medium	medium	Italy
Picudo	22-24	high	large	medium	Spain
Piqual/Nevadillo	24-27	low	medium	very high	Spain
Picholine	22-25	high	medium	very high	France
Sevillano	12-17	low	very large	low	USA

Most olive cultivars range in oil content from 10 to 35 percent of their fresh weight at full maturity. Growing olive varieties with an average oil yield of less than 20 percent ~ 45 gallons of oil per fresh ton of fruit are not usually profitable to use for oil. Of the majorolive varieties grown in California, Manzanillo, Mission, Sevillano, Ascolano, and Barouni, only Mission contains a high enough oil content to plant for oil. The quality of oil made from all of these olive varieties can be excellent, but is generally regarded as inferior because they are compared to specific oilvarieties with tradition, name recognition, and marketing perception. This is similar to recognized wine varietals in the world.

Flavour components within each cultivar come from the water-soluble flavenoids, phenols, polyphenols, tocopherols, and esters that make up the bitter flavor of fresh olives. These compounds are also naturally occurring antioxidants that extend oil shelf life by reducing rancidity.The most prominent oil varieties in the world are Piqual, Empeltre, Arbequina, Frantoio,Coratina, Aglandaou, Picholine, Leccino, Chemlali, and Koroneiki. Oils with high polyphenol content have longer shelf life and are generally more bitter and pungent. I would prefer to choose a lighter flavored oil according to the the variety and harvest time, such as a late harvest Arbequina rather than buy a refined oil.

Reprinted in part with permission from Paul Vossen, UCCE

return from Olive Varieties to Amazing Olive Oil home