Manzanilla de Sevilla
also called Manzanilla Sevillana, Manzanilla Fina, Manzanilla ComúnThe most widely planted table olive in the world, and the fruit behind Sevillian-style green olives. Thin skin, firm and non-fibrous flesh, and a stone that releases cleanly — bred by centuries of selection for the brine barrel, not the mill.
| Also called | Manzanilla Sevillana, Manzanilla Fina, Manzanilla Común |
|---|---|
| Main regions | Seville, Badajoz, Huelva; also Portugal, USA, Israel, Argentina |
| Purpose | Table olive; oil secondary |
| Oleic acid | Not published |
| Harvest | Early, picked green before colour change |
| Oil stability | Described as high by the IOC; no figure published |
| Watch out for | Very sensitive to Verticillium wilt and to winter cold |
In the grove
Aroma and flavour descriptors
- 1Fine and delicate
- 2Lactic notes from fermentation
- 3Balanced salt and acidity
These describe the cured table olive, from the IGP specification. Published sensory descriptors for Manzanilla oil: none found.
Ordered by how often each recurs in the published varietal literature, not by measured intensity. Our panel has not scored a monovarietal Manzanilla de Sevilla oil, and no sensory panel data for it is published. 40 of the 40 varieties here read the same way.
This shelf fills when the panel scores an oil made from this variety. 19 of the 40 varieties here are in the same state today.
Manzanilla de Sevilla 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
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.