Verdial olive oil, a specificity of the Axarquia in Malaga

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Verdial olive oil: the liquid gold of Axarquia, in the province of Malaga in Andalucia

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In this article you will find the essential information about verdial olive oil produced in Malaga province :

• The verdial olive variety
• Characteristics of verdial olive oil
• The main villages that grow the Verdial olive variety
• The Olive oil route with a guide
• Some useful links

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The verdial olive variety

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The Verdial olive variety produced in Andalucia – in Axarquia- is one of the 1000 varieties of olives grown in the world (and 60 countries producing olive oil).

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However, this variety is only grown in Axarquia. Its exact name is Verdial de Velez.

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It is particularly well adapted to the local climate (subtropical), and to the orography of Axarquia (the olive groves are in mountainous areas, on particularly sloping ground with dry stone walls (balates) to stabilise the soil.

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Walking through this area you will easily see these terraced crops that present a singular landscape.

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Other varieties grown in Axarquia are hojiblanca, picual and nevadilla.

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Its characteristics

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• It is harvested very late, between December and April
• It remains green for a long time (it gets its name “verdial” from this characteristic)
• Its taste is fruity, almost sweet and without bitterness

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Its organoleptic characteristics make it an ideal ingredient for preparing typical local dishes such as ajoblanco and gazpachuelo.

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The main villages with olive groves of this variety

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These are mainly Mondron (Periana), Riogordo, los Romanes (La Vinuela), Alcaucín, Alfarnatejo and Colmenar. The most spectacular landscapes seem to me to be in Alfarnatejo.

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In each village you can go directly to the cooperative to buy a bottle of olive oil.

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Personally, I have a small preference for the Borbollon of Riogordo and the one from Periana, especially the unfiltered one. This remains a matter of personal taste.

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Below, a nice place to discover the olive oil mills of the past: the Etnographic Museum of Riogordo (there is a mill from the 18th century and a lever press from the 19th century).

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Every year in February there is also the possibility of witnessing the production of verdial olive oil.

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The village of Riogordo organises an annual Olive oil Festival at the end of February: The Molienda de Riogordo.

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On this day, you can learn a lot about the cultivation and bottling of olive oil.

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The Olive oil Route with a local guide in Malaga province

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A passionate local and English speaking guide, Cipriano, offers an excursion to discover the olive fields, the culture, the traditions, the production and the tasting of olive oil.

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On this day you will visit a field, an incredible olive oil factory and the villages of Alfarnate and Alfarnatejo.

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During this excursion, you’ll also learn how to recognise good quality of olive oils, and after that, it’s all a matter of taste.

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You can also try your hand at harvesting verdial olives using the traditional method. I have fond memories of this experience and the hard work involved, see photo :

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During this excursion, the guide will show you some amazing specimens….

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You can find all the details in this link, as well as the price and the possibility to book online:

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Olive Oil Tour in Andalucia

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Some useful links

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Here is a link to other articles on Axarquia.

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If you are in Andalucia as part of a tour with several major cities to visit, here are some links that may be of interest:

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• Discover must-sees before visiting Cordoba

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• Visit the centre of Malaga on foot.

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• All you need to know about Granada, the Alhambra, the Albaicin neighbourhood before visiting Granada

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• If you are passing through the geographical centre of Andalusia, then you can visit Antequera, with the incredible natural site of El Torcal right next door

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Experiences to discover in the province of Málaga

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Find more ideas for visits to authentic Andalusia: see the blog pages on Andalucia.

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Here is the link to receive our newsletter from the andaluciamia.com blog

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The latest articles on Andalucia

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