Arbequina
also called Arbequí, BlancalThe variety that made modern hedgerow olive growing possible. Weak-growing, easy to root, quick to bear and self-fertile — and now planted on three continents, though it gives the least stable and lowest-phenol oil of the major Spanish cultivars.
| Also called | Arbequí, Blancal |
|---|---|
| Main regions | Catalonia, Aragón, Andalusia |
| Purpose | Oil |
| Oleic acid | 70–75% in Spain, far lower in warm climates |
| Harvest | From the first half of November |
| Shelf stability | Low — 29.8 h Rancimat |
| Why it spread | Weak vigour, roots easily, bears early, self-fertile |
In the grove
Aroma and flavour descriptors
- 1Green apple
- 2Sweet almond
- 3Artichoke
- 4Fresh herbs
- 5Banana
Descriptors as published by the DOP Siurana regulatory council and variety catalogues. Our panel has not scored this cultivar, so there are no intensity numbers here.
Ordered by how often each recurs in the published varietal literature, not by measured intensity. Our panel has not scored a monovarietal Arbequina oil, and no sensory panel data for it is published. 40 of the 40 varieties here read the same way.
Arbequina oils in the library
From 5 producers
Arbequina against the other Spain varieties
| Variety | Origin region | Used for | Polyphenols | Shelf stability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Picual | Jaén, Andalusia | Oil | 300–700 mg/kg | Very high — over 55 h Rancimat |
| Arbequina | Les Garrigues, Lleida, Catalonia | Oil | 200–230 mg/kg | Low — 29.8 h Rancimat |
| Hojiblanca | Lucena, Córdoba, Andalusia | Dual-purpose | 280–820 mg/kg | High — Rancimat mean 73 h, falling with ripeness |
| Cornicabra | Toledo, Castilla-La Mancha | Oil | ~630 mg/kg | Very high — over 55 h Rancimat |
| Picudo | Córdoba, Andalusia | Dual-purpose | Not published | Low (nursery-level assessment; no Rancimat figure published) |
| Manzanilla de Sevilla | Guadalquivir valley, Seville | Table | Not published | Not published |
| Empeltre | Bajo Aragón, Ebro valley | Dual-purpose | Not published | Not published |
| Royal de Cazorla | Sierra de Cazorla, Jaén | Oil | ~156 mg/kg (single study) | Not published |
Sources
- IOC World Catalogue of Olive Varieties
- Cultivar and tree density in super-high-density orchards, Front. Plant Sci. 7:1226
- Olive cultivation in the southern hemisphere, Front. Plant Sci. 8:1830
Every figure on this page carries a source. Where we could not find one we say so rather than estimating. Corrections are welcome and credited.