Amid vast fields of silvery olive groves with twisted trunks and narrow alleyways perched on steep hills, Zahara de la Sierra in Cádiz province is one of the famous white villages of Spain’s AndalucÃa region.
This southern Spanish region is a paradise for those who love authentic extra virgin olive oil. Traditional olive oil tastings, olive farm tours, and popular olive festivals fill the town with the nutty aroma of the fruit. Spain’s love for olives is well known.
For thousands of years, the Spanish people have been using olive oil as a staple ingredient—incorporating it in almost every meal. The Hispanic country, home to more than 300 million olive trees, produces over a billion litres of this “liquid gold” and consumes almost 80 per cent by itself.
It was when the Moors ruled Spain, that olive oil production became popular. Even today, you won’t find a single Spanish kitchen without a bottle of this liquid gold. Over 75 per cent of this oil comes from its southern coastal region-Andalucia. Manzanilla, Arbequina and Lechin are among the popular olives varieties grown in this region. In the Zahara de la Sierra, Luis Lucero has been growing olives for over two decades in his rustic Oleum Viride farm. His olive oil was the first Andalusian brand to receive USA FDA certification in 2004.
Located in a stone-built whitewashed farmhouse, with a modest veranda surrounded with olive groves as old as 100 years, he takes enthusiasts on a tour around the groves. Lucero explains that it takes seven to eight years to cultivate the first tree crop on non-irrigated land. “We still use the trees planted by our grandparents and we plant trees for our grandsons to enjoy,” he smiles.
The olive trees act as a barrier, protecting both the park’s unique biosphere and the local wildlife. Lucero operates in a cooperative system with other farmers. Locals harvest their olives and bring the produce to his mill for pressing. In payment, he receives a small share of the oil for his own use. On a good day, crushing 100 kg of olives, produces 15-20 litres of oil.
Making olive oil is difficult, one has to put their nose to the grindstone. Traditional farmers take a long pole to shake the tree and collect the fallen olives in plastic sheets or nets. “During the harvest season we work for 24 hours on all days.
Olives need to be crushed, within five to six hours after plucking. Otherwise, the oil quality goes down, due to oxidation and exposure to light,” he explains, adding, “Our olive oil is the result of the unique climate and terroir of this place. We store them in opaque tanks. If it’s too hot it can become rancid, if it’s too cold it can solidify. Room temperature is the best.”
The tour starts with washing and weighing the olives. The leaves and impurities are removed, and then olives are crushed into a mush. A centrifuge machine separates the oil from the solid, cold mush. This is done at lower temperatures, ensuring higher quality extra virgin olive oil. The oil is finally left for sedimentation, carefully stored in the tanks or barrels.
Soon it’s time for the highlight of the tour—tasting the freshly pressed olive oil. Lucero hands over special glue glasses (which hide the colour and cloudiness of the oil) to everyone.
He teaches everyone to let the oil rest on their tongue, slowly breathing in its grassy scent—important for tasting the subtle flavour of olives. “We sell almost 90 per cent of our production directly to visitors avoiding long supply chains,” he says.
From olives to oil, at each step every byproduct is used. The leaves are used to feed goats, ground olive pits are turned into biomass pellets for fires, and the excess water is pumped to irrigate the tree—ensuring nothing goes to waste, something Lucero is proud of. Shipped across the world, each bottle of Lucero’s olive oil carries a hint of Spain’s warm Andalusian sun, and the patience of its dedicated farmers.
from Food https://ift.tt/lQIhv8E
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