Olive Lexicon
The olive is one of the world's oldest cultivated plants and has shaped the landscapes and traditions of the Mediterranean for thousands of years. But what makes an exceptional extra virgin olive oil? Which olive varieties exist, how does an olive tree grow, and how can you recognise outstanding quality?
Our Olive Encyclopedia offers valuable insights, fascinating background information and practical knowledge about olives, olive oil and olive trees – clearly explained and continuously expanded.
Thinning
Thinning involves cutting off some of the unripe olive branches in order to improve quality and ensure that the tree receives sufficient light and air.
Transparency
Transparency in the case of extra virgin olive oil from small-scale regional production means above all that you should be able to trace as clearly as possible who produced the oil, where the olives were grown and how they were processed. This is precisely what distinguishes artisanal producers from anonymous mass-produced goods.
To this end, additional information must be provided, such as:
- Name of the olive farmer, family business, producer
- Origin of the olives, olive groves if applicable
- Harvest year instead of just best-before date
- Information on processing (cold pressing/mechanical extraction, information on the mill)
- Chemical laboratory analysis: polyphenol content, acidity, K232 / K270, peroxide value
Tree pruning
Regular pruning promotes yield, health and light penetration. Traditionally, olive trees are kept ‘airy’. We prefer to prune trees in spring, as this is the most favourable time of year for the tree in terms of weather conditions, allowing it to generate energy properly.