Olive trees with their precious fruit have sustained the Catalan people for millennia. At an olive oil-themed park in Les Borges Blanques, you can view some of the gnarly survivors: 54 trees that are more than 1,000 years old. One of these massive trees is thought to be the oldest in the world; experts put its age at more than 2,000 years. Just imagine how many generations it has nourished.

The annual olive harvest typically begins in November in this region and lasts through January. Early in the season, the olives are more green than black and yield a fruity oil with green apple or artichoke aromas; as the olives mature, they yield a more mellow oil with sweeter, nuttier notes.
Catalonian olives and olive oil
Workers with rake-like hand tools comb through the trees to loosen the olives, then gather them in burlap sacks. Trucks deliver them to the local cooperative, where they will be immediately pressed into oil—in some cases, with ancient millstones. The time from harvest to crushing is critical. Olives that are not pressed quickly may begin to ferment and develop off aromas and an elevated acidity that would disqualify their oil as extra virgin.

If you are in Catalonia during the harvest, you can visit many of these cooperatives, watch the transformation of olives into liquid gold, and even buy some oil to take home. After crushing the olives, the resulting liquid must be centrifuged to separate the viscous olive oil from the watery juices, known as vegetable water. Get your toast roady. No fancy restaurant food can be any tastier than l’oli novell, or new olive oil, on warm grilled bread.

The Catalonia region boasts five DO’s (denominación de origen) for its fine olive oils. These DOs are like wine appellations. Oils that bear a DO label must be made within the permitted DO zone and only from approved varieties. The DO system helps insure quality and a consistent identity for these oils.

Catalonia’s olive oil DOs and the dominant olive varities used:
Les Garrigues: Arbequina
La Siurana: Arbequina
Baix Ebre-Montsià: Farga, Morruda, Sevillenca
Terra Alta: Empeltre plus some Morruda, Arbequina and Farga
Empordà: Verdial

Several communities hold festivals to celebrate the olive harvest. If you are traveling in the region in the late fall, inquire about festival dates. Reus, Santa Barbara, Belianes, Les Borges Blanques and Espolla are among the villages that host celebrations.

In this video interview, journalist and gastronome Josep-Maria Blassi guides you through a tasting of the five Catalan olive oil DOs. (Flash video, 8:25)

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