Explore premium olive oils in five Spanish questions
Olive groves in Jaén
In August I travelled for a week to Andalusia in southern Spain. Arriving by coach I saw olive trees as far as the mountains in the distance. It was my first view of the state of Jaén - the Spanish mecca of olive oil producers. Jaén is home to more than 60 million olive trees. It was while staying in Baeza, a small, pristine, medieval town, that my palate was educated, through each meal, to the spicey ‘Picual’ extra virgin premium olive oil. A morning in one of its independent stockists gave me a fascinating beginner’s introduction to premium olive oils.
Wall to wall Olive oils in Baeza
The true value of premium olive oils is still perhaps Spain’s best kept secret. Let’s explore the basics of olive oil and, of course, the best way to talk about it in Spanish conversation. I’ve had some great chats with small shop keepers (a captive audience!). So, in the context of a conversation with an olive oil stockist shopkeeper, try out these five beginner Spanish questions.
¿Es aceite de oliva virgen extra?
Is it virgin extra olive oil?
The first thing is to learn is how to say olive oil in Spanish: aceite de oliva. Extra virgin we’ve heard of but that may be the extent of our understanding of premium products. Extra virgin is the first higher quality extraction, the first ‘squeeze’ of the olives if you like, all the good stuff at the best intensity. It’s always extracted in cold and only by mechanical means. It’s the oil with flavour you’ll want to use on your salads and on bread.
Useful Spanish phrases
Aceite de oliva - olive oil
Virgen extra - Extra virgin
Calidad - quality
Aliñar - to dress
La ensalada - salad
El pan - bread
Premium olive oil brands also boast beautiful packaging
¿Este aceite viene de una cosecha temprana?
Does this oil come from an early harvest?
The new wave of premium olive oils have come from what is called the early harvest. Traditionally olive trees are harvested in the winter. This is when the olives are black, the oil is at a high saturation, and it is easier to easier to extact, especially when oil was traditionally pressed by a donkey turning a wheel. Now, with mechanical extraction, olive oil can be extracted from olives picked in autumn when the olives are still green. What’s the benefit of this? Well, the oil is at lower saturations and the properties are much more concentrated creating a product full of more intense flavour and health-giving properties.
Useful Spanish phrases
Aceite de alta calidad - high quality olive oil
La cosecha - harvest
La aceituna - the olive
In this model of traditional production a giant press literally squeezed the oil from the crushed olives.
¿Qué especie de aceituna es usada en este aceite?
What variety of olive is used in this olive oil?
Just like single origin chocolate or coffee, olive oils have a distinctive and more pronounced flavour profile when they are from single variety. During the tasting I learnt about the creamy, spicey, sweet, bitter and even earthy notes of olive oil as I tried oils from the Picual, Arbequina and Royal varieties.
Royal, Arbequina and Picual olive oils
Useful Spanish phrases
Una degustación - tasting (various oils)
Una cata - tasting (one variety)
Dulce - sweet
Picante - spicey
Amargo - bitter
Cremoso - creamy
Natural/del terreno- natural/earthy
¿Este aceite viene de extracción en frío?
Does this olive oil come from cold extraction?
The form of extraction of the oil impacts its quality and the stability. These days extraction is always by mechanical means and must be kept within 18 and 24 degrees to be termed “cold”. The colder the better. I was told that the term ‘cold pressed’ is a marketing term which doesn’t actually evoke the modern practice of extraction through circumfugal motion.
The three enemies of olive oil once extracted? Air, light and temperature change. So keeping it in an opaque, airtight container is the best for your product.
Useful Spanish phrase
Extracción en frío - cold extraction
¿Se puede reutilizar el envase de este aceite?
Is this container reusable?
More and more pioneering retailers are moving to provide options to refill your oil containers with consumers coming back to refill the same bottles multiple time. It is always good to ask if this is a service the shop provides or would consider proving in future as a measure to save resources. Of course, if your budget allows it also go for the non-plastic options.
Useful Spanish phrases
El envase - the container
La lata - tin
El cristal - glass
El plástico - plastic
Inspired to jump into a Spanish conversation? Our beginner Spanish courses in our office space in central London get you interacting and speaking Spanish ready for for your next trip. We mix the classroom and real-world social events to build your speaking skills and confidence. Try a taster beginner social Spanish class for yourself and get tickets to our next social Spanish taster night.
Or, find out more and enrol on one of our beginner social Spanish courses in central London:
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Finally, if you want to try olive tasting in London check out the Spanish olive oil school they run amazing specialist olive oil classes. Or, jump straight into real-world interaction with a visit to one of London’s specialist Spanish supermarkets.
- Carla Jones