| Arbequina | |
|---|---|
 Arbequina olives just after harvest | |
| Olive (Olea europaea) | |
| Origin | Spain |
| Use | Oil and table |
Arbequina is acultivar ofolives. The fruit is highly aromatic, small, symmetrical and dark brown, with a rounded apex and a broad peduncular cavity. In Europe, it is mostly grown inCatalonia,Spain,[1] but is also grown inAragon andAndalusia, as well asCalifornia,[2]Argentina,Chile,Australia andAzerbaijan. It has recently become one of the dominant olive cultivars in the world, largely under highly intensive, "super high-density" plantation.[3][4]
The name comes from the village ofArbeca in theCatalancomarca ofLes Garrigues. It is said to have been introduced there fromPalestine in the 18th century by theDuke of Medinaceli,[5] though this might be just a legend. The Arbequina olives that are now grown in Israel were [re-]introduced from Spain.
Arbequina is grown inAlbania,Algeria,Argentina,Australia: Areas ofAdelaide,Buaraba,Loxton,New South Wales,Queensland,South Australia, andWestern Australia,Bolivia,Brazil: (Paraná),Chile: Areas ofArica,Huasco, andLimari,Egypt,France: Areas ofAlpes-Maritimes andHérault,Iran (Gilan),Israel,Libya,Mexico: Areas ofAguascalientes,Caborca, andSonora,Morocco,Peru: Areas ofArequipa andMoquegua,Portugal,Saudi Arabia,Spain: Areas ofAlbacete,Almeria,Andalucía,Aragón,Avila,Barcelona,Catalonia,Córdoba,Cuenca,Girona,Granada,Guadalajara,Huesca,Lleida,Madrid,Sevilla,Tarragona,Teruel, andZaragoza,South Africa (Western Cape),Turkey, theUnited States (Winter Garden Region,Texas),[6] andUruguaiana,Brazil.
Arbequina is also known as:21 kilo inCórdoba,Cuyo, andMendoza,Alberchino in areas ofGranada andGuadalajara,Arbequi inLleida,Arbequin inAlbacete,Almeria,Avila,Guadalajara,Huesca,Lleida,Logroño,Tarragona,Teruel andMendoza in Argentina,Arbequina Catalana in some areas of Córdoba,Arlequin inAlmería,Blanca inHuesca,Blanca De Espãna in some areas of Argentina, K 18 inAl-Jouf,Manglot (Del) in some areas of Albacete andValencia.[7]
Arbequina trees are adaptable to different conditions of climate and soil, although it does best inalkaline soils; it thrives in long, hot, dry summers, but is frost-hardy and pest-resistant. Its relatively small cup, allows it to be cultivated under more intense, high-density conditions than other plantation olives.[8] The variety is very productive and enters early into production (from the first half of November). The fruit does not ripen simultaneously, and has an average resistance to detachment. Unlike most varieties, Arbequina has a high germination percentage, making it a common seedling tree for use as a rootstock. 78% of olive oil acres in California are planted on Arbequina rootstock.[9]
Although sold as a table olive as well, Arbequina olives have one of the highest concentrations of oil, and are therefore mostly used forolive oil production.[10] Harvesting is easy since the trees are typically low to the ground and allow for easy hand picking. Oils made from Arbequina are generally buttery, fruity, and very mild in flavor,[11] being low inpolyphenols.[4] The combination of low polyphenol levels and high levels ofpolyunsaturated fat as compared with other olive cultivars means that it has relatively low stability and short shelf-life.
Hybridization using the Arbequina andPicual (Rallo et al 2008) resulted in the newerChiquitita variety.[12]
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