Pairing Olive Oil with Food: Robust, Medium or Delicate
The intensity grades are defined by EU law; the pairing rules by nobody. What is standard, what is convention — and which variety delivers which profile.
Topic
Varieties
Spain's Small Olive Oil PDOs: Varieties, Regions and Brands
More than two dozen protected areas, rare varieties like Royal de Cazorla and Argudell – and which brands you can actually get hold of from Switzerland.
Balkan Olive Oil: from Istria to Albania
Flos Olei has named Istria the world's best olive oil region for the ninth time. Varieties, figures and origins from Slovenia and Croatia to Albania.
PONS olive oil: a portrait of the Catalan family firm that picks early
PONS olive oil from L'Albagés in Catalonia's Garrigues: family history since 1945, Janiroc early harvest oils, verified awards and where to buy them.
The first oil of the season: why early-harvest, unfiltered Picual is so prized
Why early-harvest, unfiltered Picual is the most prized olive oil of the year, how long it keeps, and why "first cold pressed" is a legacy term.
Castile and León Tips Varieties
Buying Olive Oil from Castile and León: Varieties, Labels and Customs
Which variety, which label, how much duty-free? How to recognise and buy extra virgin olive oil from Castile and León – with tips for Switzerland.
Castile and León Producers Varieties
Arribes del Duero: Olive Oil from the Gorges on the Portuguese Border
The rare Zorzal olive grows in the Arribes del Duero. A portrait of the organic mill in Ahigal de los Aceiteros: varieties, flavour and visits.
Picual: The Olive Variety That Shapes Jaén and the World Market
About a quarter of the world's olive oil comes from one variety. A portrait of Picual: origin, chemistry, flavour, the PDOs of Jaén and buying it in Switzerland.
Olive Varieties in Europe: The Complete Guide from Picual to Koroneiki
More than a thousand olive varieties grow around the Mediterranean. A guide to the key varieties of Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, France, Croatia – and Ticino.
Eusko Label: Basque Olive Oil, Arróniz and Basque Cuisine
Eusko Label extra virgin olive oil from Rioja Alavesa: what the Basque quality label means, the Arróniz variety, brands, history and a pil-pil recipe.
Arbequina: The Mild Catalan Olive That Conquered the World
Arbequina profile: origins in Arbeca, the Les Garrigues PDO, flavour, shelf life compared with Picual and how to use this mild olive oil in the kitchen.
Artajo: A Portrait of Navarre's Award-Winning Olive Oil
Artajo of Fontellas is the world's best organic mill: varieties, early harvest, why no PDO seal is on the bottle, and how to get the oil in Switzerland.