Israel Romero / Tuesday, February 21, 2023 / Categories: Blog Spanish extra virgin olive oil. Why does Italy buy it from us and sell it as its own? Extra Virgin Olive Oil We are the country that produces the most Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) in the world, yet we are not the top in sales. It is well known that Italy buys our EVOO to sell it as Made in Italy. Although it is legal, is it ethical? Differences between Spanish and Italian olive oil Identifying the country and region of origin What is an olive mill? Spanish EVOO: loss of prestige and economic impact Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil: the moment to conquer the world Extra Virgin Olive Oils at Made in Spain Gourmet Our recommendations It is hard to understand why Spanish EVOO is not the global benchmark. However, the more I learn about the market, the more it makes sense. The generic answer is as simple as that the Italians have been quicker and smarter at positioning themselves as a country brand in Europe in the EVOO sector. Nevertheless, I will give you some tips so you can unmask the true origin of the oil you buy in Europe. Differences between Spanish and Italian olive oil The options for Extra Virgin Olive Oil are wide, and often brand unfamiliarity is also common. First, it must be explained that Spain is the world’s largest producer of EVOO, and we have very diverse olive oils, with more than 200 different olive varieties. Spanish olive oil is characteristically golden yellow due to the country’s climate. Its flavor is, in general, fruitier than that of the Italians. Spain produces approximately 45% of the world’s olives — almost half of global production!! Italian olive oil is typically a darker green and has a more herbaceous flavor and aroma. Italy produces only about 20% of the world’s olives, and because demand for Italian olive oil is so high, oils labeled “Product of Italy” can use olives from other countries. And very likely, a high percentage of those olives are Spanish. Identifying the country and region of origin In Europe, there is a widespread belief that the best EVOO is Italian. It is undoubtedly predominant, but what most people do not know is that it’s not the same for a bottle to say “Product of Italy” as for the olives inside it to actually originate there. Italy needs product from different parts of the world to bottle the international demand it has. To identify the actual area of origin of the olives, I recommend looking for the country initials on the back of the bottle. For example, ES for Spain and IT for Italy. There you can see that the presence of Spanish EVOO “in the shadows” is much greater than what appears under the Spain brand. And since our EVOOs have different origins, the flavor is different too. So calling a product of Spanish origin Italian, seems to me an ethical fraud, if not a legal one, in full. This is not to say that Italian EVOO is not excellent, but I find this practice outrageous, and I believe Spain is complicit in it. At Made in Spain Gourmet we recommend that EVOO always come from the same place, in this case from a single olive mill. What is an olive mill? An olive mill is the place where olive oil is processed. Its name comes from Arabic and means “place where it is pressed,” which, after all, is what you do to obtain olive oil — that is, “press” the olives. From this concept of pressing comes the description of Extra Virgin Olive Oil as “olive juice,” because it is obtained exclusively by mechanical procedures. Spanish EVOO: loss of prestige and economic impact But the problem goes beyond prestige, because despite being one of the largest producers worldwide, the price at which a liter of Spanish olive oil is sold compared to Italian oil can be half as much; that is, we get half the profit for a higher-quality oil. Also, selling our olives to countries that then bottle and market them independently means a loss of control over that product, as well as a lost opportunity to create local jobs. The issue worsens when we talk about adulterated olive oils, which, in addition to being labeled with an incorrect origin, have been blended with olives from different countries, leading to a loss of quality in the final product, even though this does not pose a health risk. This results in the final consumer believing they are paying for and enjoying a product that is not what they think, including Italian consumers themselves, who will praise the great quality of the national product while actually tasting olive oil produced in Spain. Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil: the moment to conquer the world For many years the Italians have claimed that their olive oil was the best; this caused the Spanish olive oil market to be neglected for a long time. In Spain, the struggle to be a leader in olive oil exports has been going on for more than 40 years. The oil brand “Italy” has appropriated Spanish oil for years. The countries that export the most olive oil are primarily: Italy, Morocco, Greece, and Spain. Our country leads both production and exports of olive oil. Meanwhile, Italy is the largest buyer of Spanish olive production. It is known that for years the Italians have been our most direct buyers, but also the most disloyal, since they would change labels of Spanish denomination for Italian denomination labels. It is true that Italy is the second largest producer worldwide in the olive oil industry. However, to export they need us to cover their international demands. This is where we must push harder to conquer markets directly with our Spanish brands, and not sell our liquid gold to the Italians so they can bottle it as their own product. Spain has been able to maintain the top global position by modernizing cultivation, irrigation, and processing systems, managing to multiply production almost threefold. Italy, despite being our direct competitor in the olive oil industry, is indispensable for Spain because Italy imports our surpluses. To change the situation, we must keep working much more on marketing for each brand and do many more international promotions of the EVOO and Premium EVOO categories. We should promote much more the different Spanish olive varieties, which are native and distinct from those of other countries, and as I always say, invest more money in ourselves. Extra Virgin Olive Oils at Made in Spain Gourmet The relationships we have built with our partners over the past three years have given us a lot of information to make a fairly accurate assessment of reality, and our choice of the brands we work with has always been based on the balance between excellent product, attractive packaging, compelling storytelling of the brands and the people who run them. We are very proud to market brands that represent the highest quality of Spanish EVOO, and little by little we are finding our place in Europe. Our customer is very demanding and wants the best, but it is still uncommon to buy our EVOO online, so informing them that the best Extra Virgin Olive Oil is Spanish is essential. And we will continue to do so as long as we exist. Arbequina variety such as Set & Ros, Castillo del Señor, Mas Montseny, Clos Figueres, or Miliunverd; Picual variety such as Rusdalia, Castillo de Canena, Pintarré, or Sietemil; and Empeltre variety such as Salzysalz or Biocalaceite. Even without a single common line to follow, we know the only path to succeed is to explain professionally, honestly, and transparently every day that Spanish EVOO is simply the Best. Our recommendations Extra Virgin Olive Oil Biodynamic, Picual, Castillo de Canena Rocarell Organic Olive Oil Arbequina Set d'Oli Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 100% Empeltre, SalzySalz Pedroche Valley: Iberian Paradise Pastes Sanmartí: a gourmet tradition since... 1700 Print 3 Rate this article: No rating Tags: gourmetEVOOSpainPicual Please login or register to post comments.