Beautiful, fragrant saffron is the essential ingredient to paella, and many other classic Spanish dishes. These valuable threads impart a golden hue and deep, aromatic taste to any dish it flavors. Saffron is the stigma of the crocus flower, laboriously plucked by hand and toasted to perfection.

Our saffron comes from a small family supplier from the town of Minaya. It was rated as the finest in Spain, so we sought out the owners, Maria Angeles and Juan Antonio to find out more. They explained that each year the crocuses are harvested in a matter of a few days, with members of the community all pitching in to pluck every flower before it wilts. The stigmas are plucked by hand that day, then toasted to preserve the fresh flavor of the saffron.

They confided that many inferior or false types of saffron had flooded the market and hurt their sales to such an extent that many townspeople who used to be in the saffron trade no longer participated.

We placed our first order that very day, and our orders have helped revitalize this ancient tradition. Because of your orders, the saffron trade in Minaya has been revived.

Our family takes pleasure in introducing fine Spanish food to people all across North America, but we get our greatest satisfaction by supporting artisan producers who faithfully retain the tradition of excellence and pride in what they are making. Our friends at Princesa de Minaya are the perfect example.

More About Saffron

Saffron is the stigma of the crocus flower, which originally came from Asia Minor, where it has been cultivated since ancient times. The Moors brought with them the spice az-zafaran during their invasion of Spain over a thousand years ago. Today over 70% of the world's production is grown on the high Castilian plateau known as La Mancha.

Each year in October the crocus flowers open up in the depth of the night. At dawn there is a breathtaking purple carpet as far as the eye can see. At that moment people from Toledo to Albacete drop everything and rush to the fields, for all the saffron crocuses must be gathered before dusk, otherwise they lose their flavor.

The farmers pluck the flowers between their index fingers and thumbs and bring them to women who sit at long tables. They separate the reddish stigma with blinding speed. Finally the stigma are roasted on a sieve - over charcoal in earlier times, now by gas burners. About 200 crocus flowers are needed to obtain the single gram of saffron you see in our small glass jars.

The average harvest obtained by an individual family is 8 pounds. Since the earliest of times saffron dried and preserved in the closet between layered sheets has acted as a savings bank for rural families.

The Fiesta de la Rosa del Azafrán is the high point of the year in the town of Consuegra. On the last Sunday of October, at the foot of the large white windmills, the farmers celebrate with music and dancing, and chose a local maiden to be crowned Dulcinea de la Mancha in honor of the beloved of Don Quixote.

Professionals rate saffron in terms of the intensity of its flavor and the depth of its color. Since the difference is not readily visible, many times the saffron you find at the local store is not grown in La Mancha and is of lesser quality. Be sure to look for the D.O. sticker certifying 'La Mancha' saffron.

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These classic rustic refractory clay cazuelas are only made in the area near Breda, in Catalunya. The secret to the exceptional quality of these remarkable cooking products the special clay of the region, coveted by potters since Roman times. It comes from the Pyrenean foothills where the local artisans follow the Roman custom of adding very fine pebbles to this traditional clay thereby producing refractory clay.

The potters fire the dishes and cookware at a temperature that is higher than is normal for terra cotta production. The antique design cazuelas feature hand shaped handles which the potters manually attach to each cazuela before firing - in contrast to the mechanically produced cazuelas with cast handles.

After the initial firing, the artisans remove the items from the oven and leave them out to cool completely (about 24 hours, more or less). Finally, the potters hand dip each item in a food safe glaze and re-fire them. The finished product is an authentic rustic traditional cazuela.

Cazuelas are used for cooking and serving food, as they have been for millennia. Follow the link below to find out how to prepare your cazuela for use on the stove or oven.

A health note: our producer is the only manufacturer in Spain, which for quality control, uses photo-atomic analysis to assure that the products are cadmium-free and lead-free. The FDA requirement for a product being lead-free is one part per million (PPM). Our cazuelas have less than three hundredths (03) parts per million (PPM).

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The best olives for oil come from low growing trees, which need a lot of room and sun so that the fruit can mature correctly. If it is a traditional olive grove, there are only about 60 trees per acre, so that each tree may receive sufficient moisture and nutrients from the soil.

Traditional, as well as organic growers, use only natural animal fertilizers. Watering is carried out sparingly, sometimes with a drip system which delivers the necessary water directly to the roots. If this procedure is used, more quality trees may be planted per acre.

Volume producers cram many more trees per acre for high production and ease in mechanical harvesting. They use chemical fertilizers.

Only hand-picked, fully ripe, undamaged olives are used for the finest olive oils. Rejected are unripe or over-ripe olives because they reduce the fruitiness of the oil and contribute to its acidity. Windfall olives are usually over-ripe or bruised and only used for bulk oil.

Following a thousand-year tradition, men knock the branches of the olive tree with long sticks, in a process called vareo. (You can see a woodcut of this process on the Señorío de Vizcántar tin). The ripe fruit falls into nets that have been spread out at the base of the tree.

The harvested olives need to be processed promptly within 48 hours of being picked. Most of the La Tienda olive oils were processed the same day. The goal is to extract the oil as gently as possible without generating heat that would reduce the flavor and nutrient content of the oil.

First, large blowers remove leaves and twigs. Then, the olives with their pits intact are ground to a paste by granite rollers, or by a worm gear mechanism. The traditional manner was to press the ground olive mash between circular grass mats, but this ancient method is no longer used.

The modern process used by virtually all of olive mills in Spain employs pristine centrifuges to separate the oil. The mash is put into a small centrifuge in a container with small holes, with the ground olives yielding an oil and natural fruit water mixture. This mixture is then put in an additional centrifuge where the oil is separated from the natural fruit water. In this way only pure, unadulterated olive oil is extracted.

Often, the slightly cloudy oil is passed through a series of large settling tanks where it is clarified by gravity, and eventually placed in containers that are maintained at a constant cool temperature. A few producers pass the oil through a diatomaceous sand-like filter, instead of using the gravity process.

The result is a sparkling bright oil, which is beautiful to behold. Some producers skip this last step and offer unfiltered oil, which has a cloudier appearance but contains more flavor and healthy olive pulp.

Cold pressed extra virgin olive oil is the only type of olive oil that has a full flavor and health benefits. Avoid 'Pure', 'Virgin' or 'Light' oils which are at least partially chemically extracted.

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¡Feliz Dia de los Tres Reyes!

We are catching our breath at Tienda, now that the Christmas rush has subsided, and the Three Kings have left their gifts (after pausing to feed their camels from the straw they found in the little Spanish children's shoes!) Thanks to your enthusiastic support Tienda had another banner year -- despite the disruption of historic hurricane Isabel, which left us surrounded by large fallen trees and without electric power for more than a week. My favorite hurricane story is how, in the aftermath of the devastation, a Tienda friend here in Williamsburg turned misfortune into a fiesta by setting up his free-standing paella grill and serving a huge paella to his hungry neighborhood which was without electricity.

Now is our favorite time when we do what we really love -- selecting artisan products from the Spanish countryside to share with you. As I surveyed the possible products we might select, I was reminded of another trait that contrasts the North American and Spanish cultures. I discovered that in Spain there are sixteen different certifications of organic (they call it "ecological") products. There is a separate set of standards for each of the autonomous regions, except one!

The reason for this is that Spaniards do not automatically think of themselves as part of a national unit, as we do when we proudly fly the Stars and Stripes. Their identity is in terms of their family roots and their ancestral region. Rather than employing a generic national term (as we would "American"), Spaniards are apt to identify a product by its local source. For example: Queso Zamorano or Manchego is cheese made in Zamora or La Mancha; Pimentón de La Vera is paprika grown in the tiny river plane of La Vera; Turrón Jijona o Alicante is made in the small town of Jijona, Alicante; or jamón de Jabugo is Iberian ham cured in the village of Jabugo).

In contrast we feel it makes sense to have a unified standard for the entire nation, so we recently passed a law defining which products could claim to be "organic." Standardization is an efficient way of ordering commerce for a vast area such as the United States, and we have perfected this approach with national brands, hotel chains and fast food outlets, for example.

But what makes us treasure Spanish cuisine is that portion of Spain's food supply which is industrially inefficient. "Artisan" or "home-made" is not just an advertising slogan printed on the outside wrapper -- many of our products are truly made by hand. Women in rural Sevilla still wrap each dessert crisp in waxed paper, as they have for over 100 years. A father and his sons actually roll out the figs and dates for our almond cakes. Farmers truly drive their tractors laden with peppers to the drying station and then to the mill. Men in the olive groves actually spread out a tarpaulin before hitting the fruit laden trees with a stick to loosen the ripe olives.

So in yet another way our two cultures meet in Tienda. In rural Navarra our friend still personally organizes the local women to hand-peel each delicate roasted piquillo pepper, as they have for several years past. Yet through the marvelous technology of the Internet and UPS you click a mouse in California (or Idaho or Tulsa -- and in a matter of a few days you are savoring these peppers which you have stuffed with bonito. Sometimes we actually can have the best of both worlds! ¡Prospero Año Nuevo! May you and those you love prosper in this New Year.

Your friend,
Don

When explaining the flavors of different olive oils, we find it illuminating to compare them to the world of fine wines. Both wine and olive oil are the juice of fruit. Just as there is no wine which is "the best," so there is no one extra virgin olive oil that is better than all others. The differing properties of individual oil depend on the ripeness of the olives when harvested, how they were kept and how the oil was extracted.

Olive oil is judged by its bouquet and taste alone. Some people have heard that good olive oil is always green. However, the color of the olive oil is never a tasting factor. Professional tasters even use blue glass snifters to disguise the color of the oil so that their judgment will not be affected by the color.

Good flavor is the result of picking healthy fresh fruit at the optimum stage of maturity. The olives should be pressed very soon after picking to maintain the beneficial oleic acids and flavor compounds.

At La Tienda we have selected for you first cold pressed extra virgin oils of the highest quality. It is up to you to decide which one tastes best to your palate.

The way to taste an olive oil is simple: pour a little oil into a small glass or bowl (a sherry glass is actually a perfect oil taster.) Cup the glass from below to warm the oil and cover the top to capture the aromas. After 30 seconds, swirl the oil, then uncover and smell. Close your eyes and you might find aromas of fresh cut hay, artichoke, green apple, banana or tropical fruit.

Take a small sip of the oil. Often the more subtle flavors do not develop for several seconds. You should look for an oil with complexity but no rancid or overly bitter flavors. If you feel a peppery bite at the back of your palate, this is an indication that the oil is fresh and rich in antioxidants.

For a more informal tasting, simply pour a small bowl of olive oil and dip fresh bread into it. And a nice glass of Spanish wine always helps!

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Spain is the world's leading producer of olive oil, with approximately 975 thousand tons produced per year. Over 250 million olive trees grow in Spain - we are always astonished to see olive groves that stretch as far as the eye can see. Some trees are over one thousand years old!

In recent years, families and cooperatives in Spain have drastically improved the quality of their extra virgin olive oils as well. Many are harvesting their oils earlier, just before they ripen. This produces a smaller harvest, but a much smoother, fresher and more delicate flavor. Now you can enjoy a wide variety of fine extra virgin olive oils, from organic to boutique olive varieties to special blends.

Not all olive oils are created equal! Many grocery store olive oils are blended with cheap processed oils with much less flavor and health benefits. We know our producers personally and have visited their groves and mills, so we can guarantee the highest quality extra virgin olive oil for your table.

Olive cultivation began in the Middle East over 5,000 years ago and gradually spread westward throughout the Mediterranean basin. The Romans first planted olive trees in Spain, and since then olive oil has become central to their cuisine and history.

Spain, not Italy, provided the bulk of the olive oil to the Roman Empire. Archeologists in Rome found a mountain composed of 40,000,000 earthenware vessels that bore the labels of Spanish producers in Andalucía. To this day, much of what is called Italian olive oil is actually produced in Spain and packaged in Italy.

Extra virgin olive oil is almost absurdly healthy. Some Spaniards even drink a shot of olive oil in the morning as a daily tonic. It is central to the healthy Mediterranean diet, which studies have shown can prolong life and battle serious ailments like heart disease, osteoporosis and obesity. It is low in saturated fat and full of vitamins and beneficial compounds. Plus it tastes delicious!

In the United States, we are now spending more on olive oil than any other vegetable oil! Quality is becoming more important as Americans find new and interesting ways to use olive oil. Olives cold pressed within hours of harvest are the healthiest and most flavorful - beware of oils labeled 'pure' or 'light,' which are chemically extracted and have very little health benefits.

We have personally selected some of our favorite first cold pressed, extra virgin olive oils for you to enjoy. No matter what your choice, you will be enjoying one of the best olive oils in the world.

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Extra virgin olive oil is a natural juice full of flavor and aroma, with high vitamin A, D, K and E content. It has an anti-oxidant effect on human body cells – 80% of extra virgin olive stimulates bone growth and calcium absorption.

Fats and oils are an essential part of a balanced diet. Olive oil is easily digested – and quickly and completely absorbed by the system. In addition, trace components like chlorophyll help the absorption, and the aroma and taste stimulate our appetite – an important assist for the digestive process.

A diet that includes olive oil aids the circulatory system, thereby reducing the risk of arteriosclerosis and other circulatory ailments. The unsaturated fats, which make up olive oil, not only are cholesterol-free, but also have been shown to actually reduce cholesterol levels. It works as a protection against 'bad' cholesterol.

Frank Sacks of the Harvard School of Public Health writes: "An olive-oil-rich diet is more effective than a low-fat diet in controlling and treating obesity. Moreover, it leads to longer-lasting weight loss and it is easier to keep to because it tastes good."

On another note, a recent comprehensive study in Spain showed that women who added extra-virgin olive oil to their diet had a 62 percent lower risk of breast cancer over the following five years, according to researchers at the University of Navarra in Pamplona.

Every year we learn of more and more health benefits associated with extra virgin olive oil. How often is something as delicious as Spanish cold-pressed olive oil shown to be so good for you!

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The Province of Toledo has been the center of handmade ceramics for well over a thousand years. The artists of the neighboring villages of Talavera de la Reina and El Puente del Arzobispo establish the standard against which all other Spanish hand painted ceramics are compared. In fact, in Latin America the generic term for quality hand painted ceramics is Talavera.

Many serious artisans have found the neighboring village of El Puente del Arzobispo more supportive of their commitment to preserve traditional style and quality. The ceramics of Talavera de la Reina are so well known to the international tourist that volume production is necessary in order to meet the demands.

La Tienda offers two categories of ceramics from El Puente del Arzobispo.

Our first collection is completely dishwasher safe. We asked the artisan who makes hand-made traditional pieces, to glaze the pieces at a high temperature, which makes them impervious to the high temperature of the dishwasher. There is no risk of the finish being crackled.

It was quite a tour de force for our artisan Belén. She needed to change the composition of the clay and the pigments she used to paint the ceramics because the higher temperature changed the traditional colors! Look for the 'dishwasher safe' designation, which appears on most of our ceramics listed on line.

Our original collection contains hand-made pieces which have been made the traditional way for centuries. These ceramics are glazed at a moderate temperature. The potter has made two holes in the pedestal so that you may display these colorful hand painted ceramics on the wall of your kitchen, breakfast nook or patio.

If you use them as a set of set as luncheon dishes and salad plates, be assured that these quality ceramics have high quality glazing and are made from food safe lead-free materials. We recommend that they be hand-washed, because placing them in a dishwasher can eventually, over time, cause the glaze to crackle.

Our family uses serving bowls and plates for every day use - a colorful bowl filled with clementinas, apples and grapes is very attractive. Serving gazpacho from a colorful serving bowl, accompanied by small soup bowls captures the essence of Spain.

Each ceramic piece of either category is hand-painted and individually signed. Designs are never mass-produced via silkscreen printing. Therefore, no two pieces are identical. As with other examples of quality handwork, such as Persian carpets, the individuality of each piece is what makes it highly prized.

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We realized we hadn't tasted pork like this for a long, long time. Or maybe we had never had this experience before; perhaps it was a primordial memory from a time when pork meant something juicy, something complex and richly flavorful.

The occasion was a cookout at a house in Vista Hermosa, near El Puerto de Santa María. We had received samples of pasture-raised Ibérico pork from the Dehesa forests of southwestern Spain. The cuts sounded exotic: presa, pluma, secreto.

We had very high expectations, though we weren't exactly sure what we were in for. We could smell the difference before we even cut into the first piece - a rich, juicy aroma evocative of bacon or pancetta. The first bite of secreto was incredible, the pork almost melted in the mouth, with a tender satisfying bite. Our friends at Fermín said that women in Spain usually avoid this cut, because it has more fat than the other types. We wiped the delicious grease from our faces and couldn't see how anyone could pass it up!

But the biggest surprise was the beautiful variation in the cuts. Each cut offered a different experience as we sampled -- the pluma, a thin cut that you cook in a flash; the solomillo tenderloin with its delicate flavor and light color; the rarely offered secreto. The presa was most surprising, marbled and deep red, more like a filet mignon than any pork we had ever tried. We sliced it thinly and it didn't last long.

We ended the evening marveling at the flavor we'd been missing. Because this pork was from pasture-raised pigs and because the Ibérico breed had not had all the flavor bred out of it, the pork delivered a taste that we had all craved without really knowing it. We left the table excited and awed, impatient to introduce others to this jewel of Spanish cuisine.

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Extra Virgin

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the highest quality. It is always cold-pressed which means that the olives are milled and pressed mechanically right after harvest, without any heat or chemicals applied. Acidity must be under 0.8%.

First cold pressed

'First cold pressed' on the label means that it is 100% extra virgin olive oil, not heat processed or chemically extracted. All extra virgin olive oil is first cold pressed.

Historically, when olive pulp was pressed on esparto grass mats under a heavy stone, the first pressing was the finest quality; subsequent pressings entailed adding hot water to extract the less pure oil. Today olive oil is extracted using high-tech centrifuges and there is technically no "pressing" happening at all. But the term "first cold pressed" is used for the very first extraction.

Acidity

The acidity level of extra virgin olive oil is never higher than 0.8% (3/4 gram fatty acid per 100 grams of oil). This refers to the proportion of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid in the oil. The lower the acidity, the finer the oil. Most of our olive oils are under 0.2% acidity.

Unfiltered

'Unfiltered' means that filtering of the olive oil is held to a minimum. Minute particles of olive will remain thereby enhancing the flavor of the oil. After a time they may settle to the bottom of the bottle. Of course, all olive oil is filtered to some extent to remove unwanted residue such as leaf fragments.

'Pure' olive oil

'Pure' olive oil is refined from olives of high acidity, perhaps because they dropped from the tree and burst open on the ground, or stored too long before pressing. All the impurities are removed chemically - along with its flavor. They then add some extra virgin oil to give it some taste. This cheaper oil is only suitable for frying. Sometimes this is just labelled as simply 'olive oil'.

Virgin olive oil

Virgin olive oil has a much higher acidity than extra virgin olive oil. This means it has an unpleasant flavor and is best used for cooking.

Light olive oil

'Light' olive oil is code for an oil that is highly filtered, removing much of the flavor and benefits of real extra virgin olive oil.

Wild olive oil

'Wild' oil is produced by trees, often hundreds of years old, which over the years have gone out of production. People are now returning to these historic groves to pick these organic, all natural olives.

D.O. or Denominación de Origin

'D.O.' followed by the name of a town or region, appears on the labels of some unique olive oils such as Señorío de Vizcántar, D.O. Priego de Córdoba or Unió, D.O. Siurana. This is an official government controlled designation to assure you that the product is authentic: the raw olives have to be grown within a specific geographical area; the distinctive qualities and characteristics are due mainly to the natural environment; and the manufacture of the product follows strict guidelines.

France has a similar system which assures you that a bottle of wine designated 'Chateau Yquem' is really from the village of Yquem; or that Roquefort cheese comes from that area and the cheese is formed in the traditional way; or that Champagne is really made in the region of France that originated this kind of wine.

There are many excellent olive oils that are not designated 'D.O'. This is because they draw their olives from diverse areas, rather than being grown in one region.

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When Ferdinand and Isabella in the monastery of Guadalupe received Christopher Columbus at the completion of his second voyage to America, they were astonished when he presented them with peppers from the New World. The flavor of the peppers took their breath away, but that did not stop the monks from cultivating them and soon the peppers spread throughout Extremadura. But it was not until the 17th century that Pimentón de La Vera, the milled powder from these peppers, began its general inclusion in Spanish cuisine.

Today the finest paprika powder in Spain is made close to the original monastery garden in the fertile alluvial soils around the Tietar River in La Vera where the climate is mild and the rain is plentiful. Here the farmers cultivate different varieties of the paprika genus Capiscum annum, each with varying degrees of pungency.

The harvest begins in the fall where entire families go out into the fields to harvest the little peppers and place them in drying houses where they are smoke-dried with oakwood which must be about five times as great as the amount of the paprika to be obtained. No other wood may be used if the genuine Pimentón de La Vera is to have its typical taste. The farmer has to go into the smoking house every day for two weeks to turn over the layer of peppers by hand.

Finally the peppers are milled by electrically powered stone wheels which must turn very slowly since friction heat affects the color and flavor. It comes in three varieties: sweet and mild (dulce); bittersweet medium hot (agridulce) and hot (picante) and normally keeps for two years.

The precious powder is indispensable, for many types of Spanish sausage such as chorizo and lomo pork loin. It adds the absolutely perfect taste of authenticity to paellas. It crosses into regular American cuisine as a seasoning for barbecue pork, rich beef and lamb stews, kebabs and even deviled eggs!

Pimentón de La Vera is unique - it is only a distant cousin to the Hungarian paprika that is used for Eastern European dishes. There is no substitute for its use in authentic Spanish cooking.

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Just as fine wines are made from a variety of grapes that determine their flavor, so also fine olive oil is made from a variety of olives that produce distinct differences in flavor. Some oils are made from a single fruit, such as an Arbequina, Picual or Manzanilla olive. Other more complex oils are made from several types of olives. The actual proportions that make specific oil unique are a closely guarded secret.

Two hundred sixty-two varieties of olives grow in Spain. I have listed some of the better-known olives that are used in the selection of Spanish olive oils that we offer.

ARBEQUINA

Arbequina olive trees originate from the region of Les Garrigues in Spanish Catalonia, where they were rediscovered not so long ago in the rocky soil near the town of Arbeca, formerly Arbequa. Now they are grown in other parts of Spain, as well. According to historical sources, the first Arbequina seeds were brought from Jerusalem in the middle-ages by the Duke of Medinaceli, lord of Arbequa.

Arbequina olives are round and small. They turn from pale green to pink and dark purple during the growing process. Harvest time is November, earlier than most other varieties. The color of the oil varies from emerald green to a deep golden yellow. The initial flavor is nutty sweet, reminiscent of melon and almond, but with a surprisingly peppery accent, and a mellow, fruity after-taste.

The trees are not a very vigorous variety, and because of the very small size of the fruit, it is difficult to harvest mechanically. Arbequina olives produce a pale yellow to greenish color oil, which is delicate and fruity with the slightly bitter quality that Spaniards enjoy. It is best stored in a cool dark place because of its high proportion of healthful (and fragile) polyunsaturated fatty acids. This oil is a wonderful garnish for a plate of crisp greens. It is also a favorite for marinated vegetables and grilled fish. Because of its delicate flavor, it is better not to use arbequina olive oil for frying. It is ideal for alioli and mayonnaise.

CORNICABRA

An ancient stock of olives grown for centuries in Toledo and Ciudad Real. The trees occupy 14% of the community of Castilla-La Mancha. It is a stable oil because it contains 77% monounsaturated fatty acids. As with the arbequina olives, cornicabra fruit is very difficult to pick mechanically and therefore is only used in fine oils. It produces a golden fruity oil with greenish reflections, which tastes velvety, sweetish and slightly bitter. It is suitable for dressing warm salads, roasted and stewed vegetables, and in uncooked sauces such as mayonnaise and as a marinade for game.

EMPELTRE

An olive from the north of Spain in Aragon. The tree is straight and vigorous and the harvest is early, starting in early November. Ideal for mechanical harvesting, Empeltre olives mainly produce an oil that ranges from pale yellow to old gold in color. It has a fruity, sometimes slightly sweet almond flavor with no bitterness.

The smoothness of the Empeltre oil makes it ideal for blending with other olive oils that are more pungent and bitter -- two attributes that tend to be unappreciated outside of Spain. It is suitable for salad dressings, and marinades. Mayonnaise made with Empeltre olive oil is especially mild and delicious. A few drops of oil on manchego cheese give it a quite special quality. Tienda has such an aged manchego kept moist in olive oil, as has been done since Roman times.

HOJIBLANCA

The name comes from the whitish (blanca) underside of the leaves, which gives the tree a silvery appearance from a distance.

You may remember seeing this attractive tree if your travels found you east of Sevilla, south of Córdoba and across the north of Málaga. The fruit is usually large, plump and almost perfectly spherical. In addition to being used for oil production, Hojiblanca is served as a black table olive because of the firm texture of its flesh.

You may witness the harvest from the end of November to late December. Once ripe the fruit is resistant to picking, which makes harvesting difficult. The oil yield is low. For these reasons it is used only in high quality oils. It has a very well balanced fatty acid content with a high level of oleic acid -- about 77%. The oil composition of the hojiblanca olive is ideal from a dietary standpoint in that the 7-8% lineaic acid content is equivalent to the percentage in mother's milk.

Hojiblanca has a tremendous range of flavors, but the most characteristic one is sweetness when first tasted, followed by a slightly bitter almond aftertaste. This oil brings out the flavor of fried foods such as chips, calamares and fish, and enhances the qualities of sautés and casseroles. Ideal for pastries and baking, it gives exceptionally workable and light doughs.

PICUAL

The oils tend to have a lot of body with some bitterness, and a pleasant fresh flavor. Good for salads and gazpachos, it is also traditionally used for frying as it behaves well when heated, for meat dishes and for stews, all of which accept its vitality well. Picual is often blended with picudo and hojiblanca.

Picual is among the healthiest olive oils due to its fatty acid content and the amount of natural antioxidants. It usually contains about 78-80% of monounsaturated oleic acid, which is important for avoiding cardiovascular disease. This is a very Spanish olive. It accounts for 50% of the Spanish olives and therefore 20% of the world's olives. In spite of these figures, its use is not very widespread. It is an olive oil preferred by Spaniards and is grown largely in the Spanish provinces of Jaén, Córdoba and Granada. The trees start to fruit early and the high yield is one of the main reasons for its popularity.

PICUDO

This olive gets its name from the pointed tip of the fruit. In some sections of Spain, it has the name Pajarero (birds) apparently because the sweetness of the oil in the ripe fruit encourages birds to peck at it. There are 60,000 hectares of Picudo olive trees in Baena and Priego de Córdoba as well as Málaga and Granada. The fruit is second in size for those olives used for oil.

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