Types and Varieties of Olive Oil in Mallorca

“Olive trees are, without a doubt, one of the best gifts from heaven," used to say the American President Thomas Jefferson. And olive oil is one of the most cherished by haute cuisine chefs, as well as by people who choose it for their everyday recipes and dressings.

In Mallorca, there are more than 750,000 olive trees, and 90% of them are over 500 years old. Although they have always had a good reputation, and their product has been admired by illustrious figures like Archduke Louis Salvador, it wasn't until 2002 that the Denomination of Origin "Oli de Mallorca" was created.

Three types of olives for Mallorcan olive oil varieties

In Mallorca, there are three authorized olive varieties to produce "Oli de Mallorca" Denomination of Origin olive oil. Each of them contributes organoleptic and physico-chemical characteristics that combine and complement to obtain different oils, all of them of high quality.

The Mallorcan olive is milder and sweeter, which imparts a flavor reminiscent of ripe almonds to the oil.

The Arbequina variety gives the oil a touch of green fruit, while the Picual olive is more pungent and bitter, which is reflected in the result.

Additionally, each variety contributes a different lipid composition. While oils made from Mallorcan and Picual olives have a very high oleic acid content, the one obtained from the Arbequina variety is considerably lower.

Furthermore, Mallorcan olives yield oil with a much higher content of unsaturated fatty acids compared to oils from other types of olives.

Four Mallorcan oils to try

Now that you've learned the theory, it's time for practice. On previous occasions, Mallorcan oils have been discussed. Here are four more recommendations:

• -Son Naava is made from the Arbequina variety. The estate, located in Montuiri, produces its oil with a holistic agriculture approach and Mallorca's only biodynamic olive grove. It annually produces about 20,000 liters of Demeter-certified oil.
• The Demeter Association inspects Son Naava's olive groves twice a year to ensure they comply with their strict regulations for olive care, harvesting, and processing.
• -Son Moragues is a farm located in Valldemossa that produces oil in an ecological manner. Their philosophy revolves around ignoring advances in science regarding the mixing and modification of olive species and opting for the same centuries-old trees that have been cultivated in Mallorca for generations. The olive grove consists of more than 10,000 olive trees occupying a hundred hectares of dry-stone terraces, nestled in the heart of the Tramontana Mountain range. The result is an exceptional extra virgin olive oil, of superior quality made from Mallorcan olives.
• -La Finca Es Guinyent in Alcudia has centuries-old olive groves covering more than 85,000 square meters. The sun, the rain, and the sea breeze provide optimal conditions for producing a fruity olive oil from Arbequina and Picual varieties. Its intense flavor and low acidity make it the preferred choice of many restaurants in Mallorca.
• -El Olivo is the restaurant of Belmond La Residencia in Deiá. The estate is home to numerous Mallorcan olive trees that yield exquisite oil. What sets this estate apart is that they use the oil not only for cooking but also for several luxury spa treatments.