Spain has been cultivating and producing olives for long times. Spanish olives & olive oil production have close ties with the history of Spain. It's believed that the Phoenicians brought olives to the Spanish coasts more than 3,000 years ago.
Presently, with more than 300 million olive trees, Spain has the highest number of olive trees. Spain is the leading olive and olive oil producer and exporter of the world. The two million plus hectares of Spain's area has olive groves. The ninety two per cent of Spain's olive groves are dedicated to olive oil production. Spain's average annual olive production varies due to the cyclical nature of the harvest, but typically runs between 600,000 and a million metric tons, but only twenty per cent of the annual production is exported.
Catalonia also has its share in Spain's olive production. The major olives cultivation and production areas include in the provinces of Lleida, Siurana, and Tarragona. There is also a small concentration of olives in Catalunya, in northeastern Spain where Barcelona is located. Barcelona is capital of Catalonia.
Arbequina olives are mainly grown in the Catalonia, Barcelona region. Other authorized varieties of olives in Spain include Real, Verdiel and Morrut olives. Arbequina olives are small, brown olives. These olives are produced for being used as table olives and also to produce highly valued olive oil. The arbequina-based olive oils are more buttery, with a slightly peppery finish. 'Empeltre' olives are medium sized, black olives grown in Spain. They are also produced to be used both as a table olive and to produce a high quality olive oil.
Olive oil industry is one of the most flourishing industries of Spain. Spain is the leading producer and seller of quality olive oil in the world. Spain's olive oil production is extended from Extremadura to Catalonia, through the fields of Andalusia, Murcia, Castilla la Mancha, Valencia and Aragon. The entire region is conducive for the olive production, and thus dominated by the olive orchards. Olive oils have several health benefits and often used in medicines. Olive oils are used as cooking oils to cook gourmet dishes of Spain. Olive oil is the fundamental part of Mediterranean and Spanish diets.
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Article added to SearchWarp.com on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 View other articles written by Paul Symonds(427)
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