| Olive Cultivars |
|
|
|
The olive oil at the Toister Ranch is extracted from a number of distinctive cultivars (varieties), each one possessing a unique flavor aroma and color.Suri – is the most popular and perhaps oldest cultivar in the Middle East, including Israel. It traces its roots to Lebanon to the Tyre coast (Tsur in Hebrew, so rightly it is called Tsuri). The olives are juicy with a rich savory aroma. Its flavor is spicy and pungent. It is favored as condiment rather than as a cooking oil. Barnea – is an Israeli developed cultivar. Naturally low in free acidity, its flavor is faintly bitter while the aroma evokes freshly cut grass.  Ma’alot – is also an Israeli developed cultivar. Its flavor is mild and fruity, less bitter than Barnea. Manzanillo – A Spanish cultivar whose roots can be traced to California. It is the most popular olive oil cultivar in the world. When harvested green and immature, the oil is brawny and piquant, when harvested black and mature, its flavor becomes mild and buttery.Pikual – is also a Spanish cultivar from the Andalusia region that produces a heavy crop once every two years. The olives contain only a small amount of oil and the flavor is ranges from neutral to slightly pungent. Nabali – thrives in the Yehuda, Shomron (West Bank) and in Jordan. It produces a heavy crop of large fruit that contain a rather low percentage of oil. Its flavor is similar to Suri, but slightly sweeter and milder without the spiciness. Pishulin- is a high quality cultivar from Southern France. Its flavor is sometimes grassy, sometimes fruity with a balanced mature aroma. Frantonio – is an Italian cultivar from the renowned Tuscan region. Recently introduced to Israel, its oil is highly flavorful and naturally low in free acidity. Koroniki – a cultivar from the island of Crete is considered the mainstay of the Greek olive oil industry. Its olives are small, but flavorful with a mild aftertaste. |
