The olive tree has been cultivated since the fourth millennium BC, as numerous archaeological studies in the Mediterranean region show. The crop had (and still has) great economic importance for the very different regions. It is estimated that there are over 1000 different types of olives, although a large number are only distributed locally - i.e. limited to individual villages.
What are the most famous olive varieties?
The most famous olive varieties include the Spanish Arbequina, Gordal, Hojiblanca, Manzanilla and Picual, the Italian Frantoio, Leccio, Cipressino and Taggiasca and the Greek Kalamata, Konservolia and Koroneiki. These varieties vary in size, flavor and use as table or oil olives.
Difference 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 pit, while oil varieties are bred to have a high oil content. However, all varieties ripen black, the green olives are only harvested before they are fully ripe. Olives grow throughout the Mediterranean region, but also in California, Argentina, South Africa and Australia. The plant prefers a dry, Mediterranean climate, which should not be too cold or too hot.
Spanish olive varieties
Spain is by far the largest olive producer; around 200 to 250 different types of olives are known from this region alone.
The most important 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 sold commercially as “Queen Olive” or “Jumbo Olive” due to their size and mild taste. The Manzanilla olives are also very large, as their name (“small apple”) indicates. Olives of the “Hojiblanca” variety come from sun-drenched Andalusia and are a must on every tapas platter there.
Italian olive varieties
There is an even greater variety of varieties in Italy than in Spain; there are an estimated 440 different olives known here. They differ in appearance, size and taste. In Sicily, for example, “Frantoio”, “Leccio” and “Cipressino” are grown. “Taggiasca”, on the other hand, is at home in the northwestern Italian coastal region of Liguria. The variety is characterized by a fine olive scent 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 olive varieties
Greece is not only considered the home of democracy, but also the origin of the cultivated oil crop. While the Sumerians probably brought the wild olive to the Mediterranean many millennia ago, the Greeks bred the oil fruit into a high-yield 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 oil variety Koroneiki, whose oil has a delicate, harmonious scent and a light lemon aroma.
Other growing areas
The “Cailletier” oil variety comes from southern France, whose oil has a fresh, delicate nutty taste. Like “Aglandou” it is self-pollinating. Incidentally, “Aglandou” tolerates light frost very well. The varieties “Edremit” and “Gemlik” come from Turkey and are primarily processed into oil. 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. The plantings outside the Mediterranean region are not our own varieties, but merely exports.
Tips & Tricks
The oil and edible olives listed are joined by numerous wild species and subspecies. The wild olive tree, also known as oleaster (Olea europaea ssp. Sylvestris), is particularly suitable for growing a bonsai olive. This tree or shrub has a picturesque, gnarled appearance.
