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Apart from the money that tourism brings in, olive oil is one of the main sources of foreign income into the Spanish economy. Anyone who has ever collected their car from car hire in Malaga airport and headed north through the hills, away from the coast cannot fail to have seen the vast swathes of olive groves which cover the hillsides for many miles in all directions. Spain is estimated to have 215 million olive trees covering 5 million acres, and the production accounts for 27% of the world’s olive oil.

Olive oil varies considerably depending on where in the country it is grown, how and when the olives are pressed and what type of olives are used to produce the final blend. The flavour of the oil is most affected by the time of year that the olives are harvested. Olives harvested early in the year will make an oil which is much stronger and sharper in flavour, whereas olives harvested in the autumn produce an oil which is milder and more buttery in flavour. Olive oil is much better for you than fats derived from animals, such as butter.

Once the olives have been harvested they are taken to the mill or processing plant where the process of extracting the oil begins. They are first mashed up to make a thick paste then spun quickly in a centrifuge to separate the liquid oil from the solid remains of the olives. Alternatively, the olives are mashed and then allowed to stand until the oil floats to the top, where it is removed from the solids. Olive oil is then allowed to mature for between three and six months which improves the flavour of the finished product. There are different types of oil available ranging from extra virgin olive oil which comes from the first pressing of the fruit to regular olive oil which is more golden in colour and comes from subsequent pressings of the fruit. Extra virgin oil is generally recommended when flavour is important, such as in a salad dressing, whereas the less expensive oils are more appropriate for cooking and using when flavour is not such a critical factor.

Many of the olive oil producers welcome visitors, and some will even arrange a tour and a tasting of the different oils which they produce, obviously in the hope that you’ll return to car hire Malaga airport with suitcases packed full of different bottles of oil. Although it’s nice to see where and how they are produced, oils are generally no better value in Spain than buying a good quality olive oil at home so by all means buy a small bottle of something special but leave the large 5 litre containers well alone.