Two oils, both extra virgin, both freshly pressed – and yet one tastes of green tomato and stings the throat, while the other smells of almond and ripe apple. The main reason is the variety. More than a thousand olive varieties are cultivated around the Mediterranean. The World Catalogue of the International Olive Council (IOC) describes 139 genetically authenticated main varieties from 23 countries, together accounting for almost 85 percent of the world's olive growing area. This guide walks through the most important European varieties – country by country, with origin, flavour and a kitchen tip.

Why the variety decides the flavour

The variety determines how much oil a fruit contains, when it ripens, how the tree copes with cold and drought – and above all which aromas and polyphenols end up in the oil. Three properties explain most of the differences in taste:

  • Polyphenol content: responsible for bitterness and the peppery catch in the throat. Coratina, Picual, Cornicabra and Moraiolo are naturally rich in them; Arbequina, Taggiasca and Empeltre far less so. More in our article on polyphenols and antioxidants in olive oil.
  • Fatty acid profile: a high share of monounsaturated oleic acid makes an oil more stable and more heat-resistant. Picual reaches around 80 percent oleic acid and is among the most stable oils of all.
  • Harvest date: almost as decisive as the variety itself. Early, still green olives yield little oil, but it is aromatic and rich in polyphenols; late harvests give more oil that is milder and keeps less well.

Single-variety ("monovarietal") oils show a variety's character in its pure form. Many classic oils are blends, in which a robust variety provides structure and shelf life and a mild one provides fruitiness. What may and may not appear on the label is explained in our guide What is extra virgin olive oil?

Spain: the land of Picual

With around 1.42 million tonnes in 2024/25, Spain is the world's largest producer and holds over 260 registered varieties, two dozen of which matter commercially. One dominates everything: Picual from Jaén, also called Marteño or Marteña in Martos. It accounts for more than half of Spanish and roughly a fifth of global production.

VarietyMain areaFlavourNotable for
PicualJaén, Andalusiarobust, green tomato, bitter edgearound 80 % oleic acid, very heat-stable
HojiblancaMálaga, Córdoba, Sevillealmond with grassy bitternessdual purpose: oil and table olive
ArbequinaCatalonia, worldwidemild, apple, almond, bananastar of intensive groves, short shelf life
CornicabraToledo, Ciudad Realfruity and robust, slightly pungentSpain's second most planted variety
EmpeltreAragón, Balearic Islandsvery mild, sweetish, almondthe classic "yellow" oil of the Ebro valley
ArrónizNavarre, Álavamedium, artichoke, tomato leafcold-resistant northern variety
Manzanilla / GordalSeville–Spain's classic table olives
FargaMaestrazgo, Castellóndelicate, fruitycenturies-old monumental trees

Then come the regional specialities: Picudo and Lechín in Córdoba, Verdial in Málaga and Extremadura, Blanqueta, Villalonga, Changlot Real and Serrana de Espadán in Valencia and Castellón, Morrut and Sevillenca in the Ebro delta, Manzanilla Cacereña in Extremadura, Carrasqueña and Morisca in Badajoz, Zorzaleña in the Arribes on the Portuguese border. We portray Arróniz in detail in our article on Eusko Label olive oil from the Basque Country, and Arbequina in Arbequina: the mild Catalan olive. Why Spanish oils perform so strongly is covered in Why Spanish olive oil ranks among the world's best; all the country data is on our Spain country page.

Italy: the world's greatest varietal diversity

No country has as many olive varieties as Italy – several hundred, depending on how you count. Almost every region has its own, and many oils are deliberately regional blends. The most important:

  • Frantoio (Tuscany, now worldwide): the benchmark for a balanced, fruity oil with artichoke, almond and a clean, fine pungency.
  • Leccino (Tuscany, all of central Italy): mild, round and very frost-resistant – which is why it is also the main variety in Ticino.
  • Moraiolo (Umbria, Tuscany): robust, bitter, rich in polyphenols; the backbone of many Umbrian oils.
  • Coratina (Puglia): one of the most polyphenol-rich varieties in the world, very bitter and pungent, with an exceptionally long shelf life.
  • Ogliarola and Peranzana (Puglia): milder and more almondy, often blended with Coratina.
  • Taggiasca (Liguria): delicate, sweetish, barely bitter – the oil of Ligurian cooking and a famous table olive.
  • Casaliva (Lake Garda): elegant, with almond notes; the basis of Italy's northernmost classic growing area.
  • Nocellara del Belice, Biancolilla, Tonda Iblea (Sicily): from green tomato to intense herbal notes.
  • Bosana (Sardinia), Carolea (Calabria), Itrana (Lazio), Dritta (Abruzzo), Cellina di Nardò (Salento): robust regional classics.

More on growing areas, PDOs and exports on the Italy country page.

Greece: Koroneiki and the island varieties

Greece has the world's highest per-capita consumption and a clear number one among varieties: the small Koroneiki from Messenia covers 50 to 60 percent of the growing area depending on the source and, despite its tiny size, yields up to 27 percent oil. Its oil is green and fruity with herbal and peppery notes, and ranks among the most polyphenol-rich in the world.

  • Kalamon (Kalamata): world-famous as a table olive, but it also makes a characterful oil.
  • Manaki (Peloponnese): milder, floral, with a high phenolic content.
  • Athinolia (Laconia): fine, balanced, keeps very well.
  • Tsounati and Mastoidis (Crete, mountain zones): spicy and robust.
  • Valanolia (Lesbos), Lianolia (Corfu), Adramytini (north-eastern Aegean): the great island varieties.
  • Chalkidiki and Konservolia: mainly table olives.

Figures, PDO zones and recipes on the Greece country page.

Portugal: Galega and the varieties of the Alentejo

Portugal has multiplied its production in twenty years and now reaches around 177,000 tonnes. The traditional signature variety is Galega Vulgar, small and mild, giving a sweetish, almondy oil. In the north, in Trás-os-Montes, Verdeal Transmontana, Madural and Cobrançosa dominate; Cobrançosa has also succeeded internationally thanks to its good shelf life. The Alentejo adds Cordovil, Azeiteira and Carrasquenha – and in the large modern groves mainly Arbequina and Picual from Spain. Details on the Portugal country page.

France: Aglandau, Picholine and the Tanche of Nyons

France produces little oil, but with a pronounced regional profile and a dense network of AOP appellations:

  • Aglandau (also Beruguette): Provence's most important oil variety, green, robust, with artichoke notes.
  • Picholine: dual purpose, fine and slightly pungent; world-famous as a table olive.
  • Tanche: the variety of AOP Nyons, mild and nutty with typical notes of cocoa and dried fruit.
  • Salonenque and Grossane: the basis of the Vallée des Baux-de-Provence.
  • Cailletier: the "olive de Nice", delicate and almondy.
  • Lucques (Languedoc) as well as Sabina and Ghjermana in Corsica.

What French oils cost and deliver in the supermarket is covered in our test of private-label oils from Spain and France.

Croatia, Slovenia and the Adriatic

The eastern Adriatic has been the discovery of recent years: Istrian oils regularly top international rankings. Slovenia relies on Istrska belica ("Istrian white"), very rich in polyphenols and long-lasting. In Croatia, Oblica (the country's most planted variety), Buža, Drobnica, Levantinka, Lastovka and Rosinjola are widespread. Montenegro has its own main variety, Žutica, and in Bar one of Europe's oldest olive trees.

For how that coastline has developed, from Istria through Montenegro to Albania, see our guide to Balkan olive oil.

Other varieties of Europe and its neighbourhood

  • Albania: Kalinjot, Mixan and Ulliri i Bardhë i Tiranës – at around 8.7 kilos per head, Albania is one of the biggest consumers anywhere.
  • Cyprus: the local Ladoelia plus increasing amounts of Koroneiki.
  • Malta: the ancient island variety Bidni, grown again in small quantities.
  • Türkiye: Ayvalık (Edremit) and Memecik for oil, Gemlik for table olives – with 505,000 tonnes Türkiye is now the world's number two. More on the Türkiye country page.

And Switzerland? The varieties of Ticino

Switzerland has olive varieties too. In Ticino cultivation was revived at the end of the 1980s; by mid-2021 just under 7,700 trees had been recorded in the Sottoceneri and Sopraceneri. The most common are Leccino, Frantoio and Pendolino, joined by Maurino, Bianchera and Moraiolo; Ascolana is planted as a table olive. The Nusera grove near Gandria holds 72 trees of the Frantoio, Leccino and Pendolino varieties. In 2020 around 2,000 litres of extra virgin olive oil were pressed in the canton from locally grown fruit, and since September 2021 "Olio d'oliva ticinese" has been part of the Culinary Heritage of Switzerland. How olive oil reached Swiss kitchens is told in Olive oil in Switzerland in the 1980s and 1990s.

The key varieties at a glance

VarietyCountryIntensityGoes with
PicualSpainrobustfrying, soups, pulses, grilled vegetables
HojiblancaSpainmediumsalads, fish, gazpacho
ArbequinaSpainmildbaking, mayonnaise, desserts, fish
CornicabraSpainmedium to robustmeat, stews
EmpeltreSpainmildcakes, potatoes, mild sauces
ArrónizSpainmediumvegetables, pintxos, beans
FrantoioItalymediumpasta, bruschetta, salads
LeccinoItaly / Switzerlandmild to mediumfish, risotto, vegetables
MoraioloItalyrobustbean soup, grilled meat
CoratinaItalyvery robustpulses, steak, strong cheese
TaggiascaItalymildpesto, fish, vitello tonnato
Nocellara del BeliceItalymediumtomatoes, caponata
KoroneikiGreecerobustGreek salad, tzatziki, vegetables
ManakiGreecemild to mediumfish, yoghurt dips
GalegaPortugalmildbacalhau, soups
CobrançosaPortugalmediumgrilled dishes, bread
AglandauFrancemedium to robustratatouille, goat's cheese
TancheFrancemildsalads, desserts
Istrska belicaSloveniarobustfish soup, vegetables, bread
OblicaCroatiamediumgrilled fish, salads

Which variety for which dish?

  • Tomato and leaf salads: mild to medium – Arbequina, Taggiasca, Tanche, Manaki. If you like bitterness, go for Koroneiki or Hojiblanca.
  • Grilled vegetables, pulses, hearty soups: Coratina, Moraiolo, Picual, Cornicabra – here the oil is meant to be tasted.
  • Fish and delicate dishes: Leccino, Arbequina, Cailletier, Manaki.
  • Frying and deep-frying: varieties high in oleic acid and polyphenols such as Picual are the most heat-stable.
  • Baking and desserts: Empeltre, Arbequina, Tanche – mild and without bitterness.

Recipe ideas for both ends of the scale are in Swiss recipes with olive oil.

Frequently asked questions

How many olive varieties are there?

More than a thousand are cultivated worldwide. The World Catalogue of the International Olive Council describes 139 genetically authenticated main varieties from 23 countries, covering almost 85 percent of the growing area.

Which olive variety is the best?

None. The variety sets the style, not the quality: a mild Arbequina oil and a bitter Coratina oil can both be excellent. What matters is freshness, processing and choosing the right use.

What does "single-variety" or "monovarietal" mean?

That the oil comes from one single olive variety. Such oils show a clear, typical profile, while blends aim for balance and consistency.

Which variety has the most polyphenols?

Coratina, Picual, Cornicabra, Moraiolo and Koroneiki are among the richest. But the content depends heavily on harvest date and processing – an early-harvest Arbequina can contain more polyphenols than a late-harvest Picual.

Which olive varieties grow in Switzerland?

In Ticino mainly Leccino, Frantoio and Pendolino, plus Maurino, Bianchera and Moraiolo. Since 2021 Ticino olive oil has been part of the Culinary Heritage of Switzerland.

Sources