Taggiasca
The rare cultivar whose protected designation requires its oil to be gentle. The Riviera dei Fiori DOP caps bitterness at "barely perceptible" and fruitiness at light-to-medium — the inverse of how almost every other quality specification is written.
In the grove
Taggiasca is the olive of western Liguria — Imperia province and parts of Savona — and it is grown for both oil and table use, as brined olives and as paste. The tree reaches 15 or 16 metres with a heavily ramified, pendulous canopy, is only partially self-fertile, roots poorly, and is described as markedly sensitive to both cold and drought. It is also very susceptible to the main pests and diseases.
Its ripening is late and conspicuously non-simultaneous, extending into January, which is why Ligurian harvesting has traditionally been done with nets over weeks rather than in a single pass. Between the tree’s size, its weeping habit and the staggered ripening, it is one of the least mechanisable major Italian cultivars — and one of the most expensive to pick.
Compared with the other reference cultivars
| Cultivar | Origin | Typical polyphenols | Sensory profile | Best pairing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taggiasca | Liguria, Italy | Low (no measured range published) | Delicate and sweet, almond and pine nut, almost no bitterness | Pesto, fish, shellfish, steamed vegetables |
| Picual | Jaén, Spain | 300–700 mg/kg | Intensely green, clean bitterness, late-building pungency | Tomato salad, grilled vegetables, bread and salt |
| Coratina | Puglia, Italy | 330–410 mg/kg | Powerfully green and herbaceous, strong bitterness and pungency | Bean soups, grilled meat, bitter greens |
| Koroneiki | Messinia, Greece | Around the Greek mean; Cretan surveys 138–441 mg/kg | Green and aromatic, balanced bitterness and pungency | Greek salad, feta, grilled fish, horta |
| Arbequina | Lleida, Spain | 200–230 mg/kg | Soft, sweet entry, barely bitter, light pungency | Fish, salads, baking, mayonnaise |
| Frantoio | Tuscany, Italy | ~230 mg/kg | Aromatic and grassy, bright green, firmly pungent when early | Ribollita, grilled bread, white beans |
| Leccino | Tuscany, Italy | ~150 mg/kg | Mild and soft, light spice, low bitterness | Fish, delicate vegetables, blending with Frantoio |
| Moraiolo | Umbria, Italy | ~270 mg/kg | Intense and structured, pronounced bitterness and pungency | Legume soups, grilled meat, bruschetta |
Polyphenol figures are the ranges published for each variety, not measurements of any bottle in the library. A single oil's figure depends on when it was picked and how it was milled, and is shown on that oil's own page where the producer states one.