When we talk about Italian olives, we must think of hundreds of varieties present in our territory, widespread from north to south, with different characteristics defined precisely by territoriality and climate.
Speaking of types of olives, we can speak of “cultivars.” This term refers to the different varieties of cultivated olives that are generally associated with the production locality.
Cultivars can therefore be divided by area of origin, by color, by flavor, and even by whether they are table olives or oil production olives.
It is difficult to say which are the only 5 or 6 families of most common types of olives in Italy. For this reason, we will select, among those destined for olive oil production, some varieties from North-Central Italy and from the South with the islands, highlighting, among the latter, which are present in our Campanian territory and represent our production.
Let us therefore begin by listing the most common types of olives from Northern and Central Italy and then focus on Southern and island olives.
INDEX
Excluding table olive types, we focus our attention on some types of olives for oil production in our northern and central regions, particularly in Lazio, Tuscany, and Umbria. Specifically, we will look at Canino, Frantoio, Gentile, Leccino, and Moraiolo olives.
However, we cannot forget to mention cultivars such as Dolce Agogia and Raia from Umbria, Rosciola from Central Italy, as well as the Taggiasca olive that grows in the province of Imperia.
Canino is a rustic plant with easy adaptability typical of the province of Viterbo, already present in the time of the Etruscan civilization. It has notable pollen activity, with high productivity.
This cultivar grown only in the Viterbo province produces an extra virgin olive oil that is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). To obtain this PDO oil, in addition to the Canino olive, other local olives can be used: Leccino, Pendolino, Maurino, and Frantoio.
This olive evokes flavors of almond, fresh grass, and artichoke.
This variety of olives called Frantoio is cultivated mainly in Umbria, but also in Marche and Tuscany. It has high productivity and offers the possibility of generating particularly fruity oils. Used for the production of single-variety olive oil, it can also be found blended with other cultivars.
This olive evokes flavors of almond and fresh grass.
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This Gentile variety from the province of Chieti is appreciated for its adaptability, cold resistance, and high and constant productivity. It has a good yield and offers an oil with good organoleptic characteristics. In this case too, we are talking about olives capable of producing medium fruity oils.
Leccino is a mainly Tuscan cultivar, with high and constant productivity. The plant is easily adaptable and offers a single-variety or blended oil, with a good fruity level, balanced spicy and bitter notes.
For this type of olive as well, PGI oil productions can be found.
The Moraiolo cultivar prefers a hilly environment. Its productivity is high and constant and it is appreciated for its typical fruity flavor. It is a rustic plant that often presents fruits gathered in clusters.
Defining which are the most common cultivars of Southern Italy is not possible. Mentioning only a few is reductive. For this reason, we will name many but not all below, of which we will then detail some better, ending by talking about our Campanian olives and, more specifically, those from Irpinia, with which we produce our olive oil. From Sardinia we cannot fail to mention Bosana and Pizzacarogna. Just as we cannot forget Bella di Cerignola, Cima di Bitonto, Cellina di Nardò, and Ogliarola Garganica from Puglia. From Sicily, instead, we mention Cerasuola, Ogliarola Messinese, Nocellara di Belice, now moving on to talk about Biancolilla.
We find Biancolilla in the provinces of Trapani, Agrigento, and Syracuse. It offers high productivity with a low oil yield of light color. Although it prefers hillside cultivation, it manages to provide good production even in areas with limited water availability. With a proper level of bitter and spicy, it has a decisive fruity taste. This variety too can produce single-variety oil or be blended with other oils. Only if the latter derive from cultivation in the Sicily region can the PGI mark be obtained.
This olive evokes flavors of artichoke, fresh grass, almond, and tomato.
This variety of olives is typical of Southern Italy but is one of the main olives of Calabria. It is an easily adaptable plant that grows up to 800 meters above sea level. The fruit, green or black, is suitable both as a table olive and for oil production. Perfect for a variety of different foods (from sweet to savory, from meat to salads), the oil produced from Carolea has medium spiciness and medium-high bitterness.
The PGI designation “Oro di Calabria” is given only to extra virgin oils with olives cultivated exclusively on Calabrian territory.
Like Sicilian Biancolilla, this oil evokes flavors of artichoke, tomato, almond, and fresh grass.
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Coratina is one of the most common types of olives in Puglia, as the name recalls, taking its name from Corato, in the province of Bari. Easily adaptable and with constant and high productivity, this type of olive is suitable not only for oil production but also for preservation in brine. This type of olive proves resistant also because it often manages to resist the olive fly.
The Coratina olive has pronounced bitter and spicy notes, with a decisive fruity flavor. For this reason, it is generally blended with more delicate oils to create a more balanced cooking product.
From this variety of olives comes an oil with a balanced level of fruity, bitter, and spicy. Dritta originates mainly in the provinces of Teramo and Pescara and lends itself to mechanical harvesting thanks to its low resistance to detachment. The rustic plant of this cultivar offers early ripening and high and constant production.
Ottobratica is a variety of olive mainly from Calabria, specifically in the provinces of Vibo Valentia and Reggio Calabria. Used for oil production, it has a balanced level of bitterness and spiciness, with good fruitiness.
With Ottobratica as well, it is possible to obtain oils with Protected Geographical Indication, only if the olives are cultivated on regional territory.
Let us now move on to talk about Campanian olives, going into the specifics of our production.
Among Campanian olives, the best-known cultivars are Pisciottana and Carpellese from the province of Salerno. In the Benevento area we find Ortice and Ortolana. In the province of Caserta grow Asprinia, Tonda, and Sessana.
In our area, in the province of Avellino, Ogliarola and Ravece are born instead. From the latter takes its name our oil, Ravece, precisely.
We mention below Pisciottana from Salerno and Ortice from Benevento and then move on to talk about Ogliarola and Ravece from Avellino.
A Cilento cultivar, Pisciottana is very productive and adapts well even in coastal areas. It offers medium-high fruitiness, as well as spiciness. It also has marked bitterness. This olive lends itself well both for the production of single-variety oil and also for blends.
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A Benevento cultivar, it lends itself well both as a table olive (both in brine and dried) and as a fruit for oil production. This type of olive has abundant production and a decent yield. The fruitiness of Ortice is medium-high and recalls the scent of fresh grass and tomato.
The most common variety of the Avellino province is also known by the name Ogliara or Sozza. Perhaps because this cultivar offers high oil production, constant and abundant, it was called Ogliarola. Its high productivity combined with resistance to high temperatures makes it an olive particularly suitable for oil production.
This cultivar characterizes most of our production, even though the olive has a rather low yield. But its constant productivity and flavor offer a high-quality oil with intense fruitiness, with the right balance between bitter and spicy. The taste recalls a herbaceous aroma with notes of green tomato and sometimes also artichoke, especially if the olives were harvested early.
Ravece can also be known as Curatone or Olivona.
In the heart of Irpinia, our Contedoro oil mill produces Extra Virgin Olive Oil PDO “Irpinia colline dell’Ufita” where the oil must be produced with at least 85% Ravece olives and the remaining 15% from Ogliarola olives.
To learn more about the best extra virgin olive oils, we invite you to read our in-depth article, where you can discover other curiosities about olive oil production.
Technician and expert in extra virgin olive oils, registered in the National Register, Campania section. Master oil miller with diploma, obtained from International Extravirgin Agency.
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