Is Spanish Olive Oil the World’s Best Oil?
Hannah Leblanc is a Canadian Chef who is passionate about…
Reasons: Why Spanish Oil is Probably the Best
If you are a fan of Spanish delicacies or are from Spain yourself, then you can’t miss out olive (oil as an ingredient in your meals). Spain is the only country where the populace consumes nearly 2.5 gallons (9.46 liters) of olive oil every year. It’s out of the question to find a dish in Spain that doesn’t contain a few drops of liquid gold. Yes, in Spain, you can refer to olive oil as liquid gold due to its immense demand by the populace. And, trust us when we say that it totally deserves this reputation. So, on that note, let’s check out what makes Spanish olive oil the world’s best olive oil.
Numero Uno in Production
Olive oil has remained dominant in Spain for almost 3000 years now. Spain never had olive trees until the mysterious Phoenicians brought them up in the peninsula. Although, it was the Romans that truly started olive oil’s production after the empire capture the Iberian Peninsula. Then later came the Moors (who were a bit more advanced than the Romans). And, the Moors were the ones who truly laid the foundations for the current behemoth- the Spanish olive oil industry. It without a shadow of doubt dominates the global olive oil production with 24% of the world’s olive groves and 44% of its oil production.
Refined Production Process
Spanish olive oil is regarded as the best in the world for several reasons. The technology employed and developed in Spain has revolutionized the production process, resulting in producing higher-quality oils. Also, the sheer number of olive varieties grown here provides for a wide range of flavors.
Are you still not convinced? Just ask the World’s Best Olive Oils organization, a non-profit body that honors the best oils all over the globe with awards. On average, Spain produces seven of the top ten olive oils across the world, according to their annual ranking on their website!
Exceptional Performance
Spain produces the most extra virgin olive oil in the world, with 29 certifications of origin. When exporting goods overseas, chambers of commerce demand these certificates. These imply that the oil was made from olives from a certain region only. And, not a combination of olives from all around Spain’s olive-growing regions, as the quality would be substantially poorer. When seeking a high-quality olive oil, it’s crucial to look for a DOP certificate.
The olive oils produced in Spain, especially in Andalusia and Catalonia, are of exceptional quality. Their performance in the annual competition “The World’s Best Olive Oils” and other prominent olive oil contests is outstanding. In fact, 37 of the 50 olive oils evaluated in the “World’s Best Olive Oils” are from Spain. You may go through the actual ranking list here for further details.
Now that you know that Spanish olive oils are truly the world’s best olive oil, you may take a peek at the list of the best Spanish olive oils for your next purchase.
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Hannah Leblanc is a Canadian Chef who is passionate about cooking and baking. Leblanc learned basic cooking skills at home; then, she joined a cooking school in Montreal. As a teenager, Hannah began her career as a Baker at her father's bakery and served as head baker at several North-American and international hotels.