Arbequina

What is arbequina?

Arbequina is a cultivar of olives. The fruit is highly aromatic, small, symmetrical and dark brown, with a rounded apex and a broad peduncular cavity. In Europe, it is mostly grown in Catalonia, Spain, but it is also grown in Aragon and Andalusia, as well as California, Argentina, Chile, Australia and Azerbaijan. It has recently become one of the dominant olive cultivars in the world, largely under highly intensive, “super high-density” plantation.

This variety is characteristic of Catalonia (Tarragona and Lleida) and Alto Aragon, although its growth has spread to practically the entire country. It takes its name from the town of leridana de Arbeca.

It produces a very fluid and sweet oil, in which it is almost impossible to perceive bitter or peppery flavors. Its olive oil has a fruity aroma of olives, apple, banana and almond.

Arbequina olive is a small olive which does not reach even two grams. Despite not being very large, you can extract much more oil than other olives because it is very greasy; It is also one of the first in the harvest of the season. 

This type of olive oil, from the Arbequina olive, is one of the most successful choices for all those who like the mild olive oil and give a good flavor to the meals.

Another feature that arbequina oil has is a peculiar aroma, similar to fruity, banana or apple. This unique aroma is due to its high level of polyunsaturated acids. These acids tend to be more unstable than monounsaturated acids, typical of oleic acid. Therefore, this type of olive oil is more unstable with respect to others from another type of olive.

Arbequina, unlike the rest, has a fairly high percentage of oleic acid which is beneficial for all those who have high bad cholesterol and low good cholesterol, helps regulate this mismatch.

What is the most common use of Arbequina olive oil?

Arbequina oil has a sweet and mild flavor that makes it peculiar also in the kitchen. These characteristics allow it to be used to make more things than the rest of olive oils that are harder.

Arbequina olive oil is usually one of the first ones that are given to taste to the smallest of the house, since its characteristic will enrich your meals.

It is also used for the preparation of soft or delicate sauces, such as mayonnaise. Other olive oils would not be advisable to make sauces of this marked style.

We can say that its use is also recommended in the baking sector and can work as a substitute for butter in the preparation of biscuits or cakes.

Another of its most common uses is for salad dressing, since being soft and a little sweet, it fits perfectly with ingredients such as apple, kiwi or raisins.

For lovers of rich and healthy breakfasts, Arbequina extra virgin olive oil is the ideal ally for toast in the morning, accompanied by a very hot coffee.

This type of extra virgin olive oil is also recommended to make fish and seafood, such as anchovies in vinegar or salmon marinades.