Olive oil

Spain's 300 million olive trees produce almost 1.8 trillion liters of olive oil annually, which corresponds to around 57% of the world's olive oil supply. Only about half as much comes from Italy, Greece only supplies about a quarter.
 

Grades of olive oils

There are different grades and categories of olive oil.
 

Native olive oil extra: 

• Obtained directly from olives exclusively with mechanical processes without the influence of heat (<40 ° C)
• Acid content ≤ 0.8%, without sensory defects, suitable for consumption.

Native olive oil:

• Obtained directly from olives exclusively with mechanical processes without the influence of heat (<40 ° C)
• Acid content ≤ 2 %, without sensory defects, suitable for consumption.

Lampant oil: 

• Acid content> 2%, clearly defective. Must not be given to consumers, but must be refined.

Did you know ... 

... that the taste of olive oils from southern Spain differs from the taste of northern Spanish olive oils?

Olive oils e.g. from Andalusia, Extremadura, La Mancha or Valencia have an intense, strong taste, which is sometimes accompanied by a slight sharpness in the finish.
The olive oils produced in e.g. Catalonia, Galicia or the Basque Country, on the other hand, have a slightly softer taste. Often the piquant spiciness is missing in the finish.