Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 'the Liquid Gold from Málaga'
We need five kilograms of olives to make one litre of olive oil
Málaga is full of flavours and scents. This province has plenty of fruit, fish, meat, wine, beer, spirits, and, of course, olive oil. There are numerous local products which keep our senses awake. All of them form part of the brand 'Taste of Málaga'.
The Province of Málaga, which today has round 100,000 hectares of olive groves, has excelled in the production of Extra Virgin Olive Oil of great quality, as it was confirmed by different certificates and national and international awards that oil brands from here had received. Today, part of this production is bearing the name of Antequera as Appellation of Origin Designation.
There are different varieties with their particular features. The most important ones are hojiblanca, verdial from Vélez, nevadillo, lechín from Seville and manzanilla from Álora.
Oil made from verdial olives from Vélez, for example, has fruity and sweet flavour, which is why it is appropriate for salads and many other dishes. In La Axarquía, the production of this product is rather big in the villages of Periana, Riogordo, La Viñuela or Alcaucín. This variety of olives is peculiar because it is the last one to be harvested, and it should not be confused with other kinds with similar name, such as verdial from Badajoz or Huévar.
Hojiblanca
Hojiblanca Extra Virgin Olive Oil is one of the most importan in both, Málaga and Andalusia. It involves 15% of the entire oil production in Andalusia. The extra virgin olive oil which is made of this kind of olives is harvested early, and it is bright green with golden shades. During the act of tasting, this kind of oil, which is very common in the plain of Antequera, needs to have soft flavour with herbal scent and a mild bitterness that comes from green and other fruit. Then it should be slightly peppery, and, finally, it tastes like almond.
Manzanilla from Álora is the most common kind of olives in the Province of Málaga. It is famous because it is commonly served in bars and restaurants. Actually, it also bears an appellation of origin for that purpose. Moreover, this type of olives is very good for extra virgin olive oil production. This kind of oil is particularly sweet, and it also has a slightly bitter taste at the same time.
Finaly, there is lechín from Seville with a distinctive whitish colour in the pulp of the olive. It turns into a rather fluid oil with the taste of herbs, little bit bitter and with a final touch of green almond flavour.
Besides these olives, there are secondary types which spread all over the varied lanscape in Málaga, such as campiñesa, koroneiki, picuda, vidueña, nevadillo blanco, pico limón, cornicabra, arbequina, picual or gordalilla, and so on. There is also to add acebuchina or wild olive.
Areas
A diverse kind of landscape in the province and different climate have created possibilities of growing diverse types of olives in nearby areas. So, we have verdial from Vélez and white nevadillo in the eastern area, in La Axaquía. However, in the Serranía de Ronda, there is, above all, lechín from Seville. Hojiblanca olives can be found in the plain of Antequera, and manzanilla from Álora in the Guadalhorce Valley and the Sierra de las Nieves.
Qualities
Extra virgin olive oil is considered to be crucial for the Mediterranean diet. This, so called, 'liquid gold' is rather healthy. This is due to its compounds, such as vitamins A, D, E and K, oleic acid, healthy monounsaturated fats or oleocanthal with anti-inflammatory properties similar to ibuprofen. Moreover, this kind of oil helps prevent cardiovascular diseases, reduce blood pressure for people who suffer from hypertension, raise levels of HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, sometimes called 'good' cholesterol and lose weight. On the other hand, wild olives have plenty of beneficial properties, but smaller amounts of olive oil can be obtained from them.
Early Harvest
Olive oil production companies have increased in number in the last few years in Málaga. Many of new companies have decided to produce green kinds of oil, for which olives are harvested early, so they can offer high quality products with the best possible feaures for your senses. However, as the harvested olives are greener than usual, their production is lower than in the case of other olives. Therefore, as this harvest is limited, their price is higher than in the case od those kinds of oil which are made later on.
Producers
If you would like to purchase extra virgin olive oil, you can buy it from the producers who belong to the brand 'Taste of Málaga'.
