What Is Picual Olive Oil? Flavour, Polyphenols and How to Use It
Picual is Spain's most widely grown olive variety and one of the most important in the world. Picual olive oil is known for its robust, green flavour, pronounced bitterness and peppery finish, and it is naturally high in polyphenols.
What does Picual olive oil taste like?
Aroma: fresh-cut grass, tomato leaf, green fig and olive leaf
Taste: robust and green, with clear bitterness
Finish: peppery, sometimes strongly so
Why is Picual so high in polyphenols?
Picual olives are naturally rich in polyphenols, the plant compounds behind olive oil's bitterness and pepperiness. Picked early, while still green, they produce some of the most polyphenol-rich oils available. Polyphenols also help protect the oil from oxidation, which is why Picual oils are known for their stability.
Where is Picual grown?
Picual is grown across southern and central Spain, especially in the province of Jaén, which has more olive trees than almost anywhere in the world.
How to use Picual olive oil
Its strong flavour stands up to bold food:
Drizzled over grilled meat and fish
With tomatoes, beans and pulses
Over soups and stews just before serving
On toast with tomato for pan con tomate
For frying, where its stability is an advantage
Our Picual blend
Our Early Harvest extra virgin olive oil blends Picual with Cornicabra and Arbequina olives, picked green in mid-October and cold-extracted within 5 hours of collection. It contains over 500 mg/kg of polyphenols and has an acidity of 0.2%.
Frequently asked questions
What is Picual olive oil?
Extra virgin olive oil made from Picual olives, Spain's most widely grown variety, known for a robust, bitter and peppery flavour.
Is Picual olive oil high in polyphenols?
Picual is one of the most polyphenol-rich olive varieties, especially when harvested early.
Is Picual good for cooking?
Yes. It's very stable, so it's good for frying and roasting as well as drizzling.
What is the difference between Picual and Arbequina?
Picual is robust, bitter and peppery; Arbequina is mild, fruity and buttery. Blending them balances the two.
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