Hojiblanca
also called Casta de Lucena, LucentinoSpain’s second variety by area and the only one that is genuinely dual-purpose at commercial scale. Its firm, large fruit is the basis of the Spanish black table olive industry; its early-harvest oil is the classic green-almond and bitter-herb Andalusian profile.
| Also called | Casta de Lucena, Lucentino |
|---|---|
| Main regions | Córdoba, Málaga, Seville, Granada |
| Purpose | Dual-purpose — oil and black table olives |
| Oleic acid | 70–79% |
| Harvest | Late ripening · through to mid-January |
| Shelf stability | High — Rancimat mean 73 h, falling with ripeness |
| Panel thresholds | DOP Estepa: fruity ≥4.5, bitter 3–6, pungent 3–6 |
In the grove
Aroma and flavour descriptors
- 1Green olive
- 2Green almond
- 3Tomato plant
- 4Artichoke
- 5Green banana
The numeric thresholds above are DOP Estepa certification minima on the IOC 0–10 scale, not a measured varietal median. Our panel has not scored this cultivar.
Ordered by how often each recurs in the published varietal literature, not by measured intensity. Our panel has not scored a monovarietal Hojiblanca oil, and no sensory panel data for it is published. 40 of the 40 varieties here read the same way.
Hojiblanca oils in the library
From 6 producers
Hojiblanca 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
- DOP Estepa product specification
- Fruit ripening and natural antioxidants in Hojiblanca oils, Gutiérrez et al.
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.