Verdeal Transmontana
The bitterness-and-pungency backbone of Trás-os-Montes blends, and the one Portuguese variety here with a directly measured Rancimat figure — 23 to 27 hours, roughly double a Madural from the same orchards and harvests.
In the grove
Verdeal Transmontana is the emblematic oil variety of Trás-os-Montes in northeastern Portugal. It is of medium vigour, productive but alternate-bearing, resistant to anthracnose, and susceptible to olive knot, peacock spot and olive fly. It ripens late, with research harvests documented in mid-November, and is suited to vibrator harvesting only at complete maturity.
What is striking in the published data is that its stability does not track its bulk phenol content. In a two-season study of oils from centenarian trees, total phenols measured only 108 and 202 mg CAE/kg, yet Rancimat came out at 23.2 and 26.6 hours — about twice the Madural from the same groves. Something beyond phenol quantity is doing the work, and the published record does not say what.
Compared with the other reference cultivars
| Cultivar | Origin | Typical polyphenols | Sensory profile | Best pairing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verdeal Transmontana | Trás-os-Montes, Portugal | 108–202 mg/kg in the published study | Markedly bitter and pungent, strongly vegetal, persistent | Kale soup, roast pork, chestnuts, hard cheese |
| 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 |
| Galega Vulgar | Portugal | ~416 mg/kg | Not published from a primary source | Portuguese cooking — bacalhau, migas, caldo verde |
| Cobrançosa | Trás-os-Montes, Portugal | ~803 mg/kg | Herbaceous and complex, balanced spiciness, moderate bitterness | Grilled sardines, roasted peppers, cornbread |
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.