Olive oil roads
Hardly anything can be compared to this opaque, darkish fluid; it is absolutely unique. A hall-mark of the Mediterranean, associated with the notion of healthiness, gastronomic delight and with a serene, untroubled old age in particular. It has been outpouring murky and imperious ever since, uncommonly bitter in taste, yet of an exceptional aroma, making it an admirable companion of many superb dishes. The most valued vegetable fat in a human diet. A body care product, a cure for diverse ailments, regarded by many as panacea, the elixir of life. A divine fruit. A flowing gold. What is concealed beneath these supernatural praises? Olive-tree! The edible oil! The oil of gods and mankind alike. Olive-oil. The oil of charitable deeds and anointment. The queen of all trees. A mythological and biblical plant. The olive-branch, an emblem of peace. A Christian rite and feast: olive-branches before the forthcoming Easter Sunday. An all-cure, a touch and a hallmark of Istria.
As stated by the Greek mythology tales, the olive-tree has been created in the following way: in her contest with Poseidon, god of the sea, Athena cast a drop of water on the cliff and immediately an olive-tree grew therein. Throughout the past centuries Istria has been determined by the olive-tree. We owe the first historic manuscripts related to our peninsula and dating back to ancient Greeks and Romans to this very olive-tree and to olive-oil, respectively. Believe it or not, olive-oil produced in Istria was considered then as the most exquisite oil of the Empire which all other existing sorts had been compared to. Marcus Valerius Marcial (40 – 103 A.D.), the most renowned epigrammatist of ancient Rome, a Spaniard by birth, left a pleiad of scripts exalting Istrian olive-oil. Chanting praises to his native Cordoba, he exclaimed: Uncto Corduba laetior Venafro, Histria nec minus absoluta testa. Cordoba, thou art more fertile than the oil-rich Venafro, absolute like the olive-oil from Istria.
Apart from many written testimonies, there is also plenty of material evidence: remnants of diverse ancient oil manufactories along the entire western coast of Istria, particularly on the Brijuni archipelago, in the towns of Barbariga, Poreč and Červar Porat. Close to these, real industrial areas intended for the amphora manufacture had been set up. It is only natural that large olive-groves were planted aside, namely the indigenous local sorts (bjelica, karbonera, buža, etc.). Nowadays, it seems like we have to start all over again. We dispose of unrivalled legacy, apparently excellent climate conditions and soil structure, favorable geographic position, skills handed down from our ancestors, knowledge and properly qualified personnel; nevertheless, we seem to lag behind the latest worldwide trends and attainments in the field.
We need to take a step forward and face the challenge of planting olive-groves consisting of selected, autochthonous sorts, producing top-quality olive-oil, accepting new growing technologies, as well as of constructing up-to-date oil plants.
Finally, we would like to present this MAP OF ISTRIA showing all relevant olive-oil roads and tracks with the purpose of getting you acquainted with our oil plants, olive growers and cellars. A more distinct mark-a flag: stands for the olive-growers using a greater variety of cultivars, modern technology, and bottled assortment of olive-oils and for the prize-winners. A smaller mark- an olive: denotes olive-growers utilizing traditional processing techniques and disposing of somewhat humbler range of products; however, they still offer fine quality olive-oil at more convenient prices.
ABC OLIVE OIL
Origin, history, environment
Olive varieties which currently dominate derived from olives that were hosted man about 6000 years ago in Syria and Palestine, where they found traces of the most ancient olive cultivation.
History of Olives is the same as a thousand year old civilization and the development of the Mediterranean is one of the symbols and the most important components of its environment and what we see today.
Olive, whose botanical name is Olea europea SATIVA, family Oleacea, there are more than 700 different local varieties called cultivars, and widespread in the area, which stretches between 35th and 45 parallel north latitude, one zone of moderate climate that suits its needs in terms of minimum and maximum temperature; specified combination of conditions climate perfectly manifested throughout the Mediterranean coastal zone.
Selection of cultivars for planting, from one region to another, closely depends on the composition of land and geomorphologic conditions ; each area perform during the century that the selection of individual cultivars were due to progressive adaptation, acquired characteristics tipičnosti, and today are recognized by the applicable regulations: European Rules Union No. 2081/92 ON THE PROTECTION CODE geographical origin.
PRINCIPAL OLIVE VARIETIES
What would Mediterranean cuisine be without olive oil? Among its many attributes, olive oil is high in unsaturated fatty and oleic acids and antioxidants or polyphenoles, contributing significantly to the health of the Mediterranean diet, confirmed in recent studies as one of the healthiest on earth.
Early Greek and Roman manuscripts praised the quality and the refinement of Istrian olive oil, and the oldest olive tree in Istria, located on Brijuni Island, has been proven to be 1600 years old. With a tradition dating over 2000 years, diligent Istrian farmers have preserved many of the peninsula’s unique olive varieties. Istria’s indigenous cultivars are distinguished by their tolerance of lower temperatures, producing highly aromatic, healthful oils with a higher ratio of favourable fatty acids than those from more southerly Europe and the African continent.
Below you will find detailed descriptions of 11 indigenous and 12 introduced cultivars that we hope olive enthusiasts, growers and olive oil producers will find informative and helpful.
ACCOMODATION
SELECTED ISTRIAN OLIVE OILS
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Novigrad, Strada Contessa 22/a
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052 758 093
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Fažana, Galižanska 8
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052 521 565
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Buje, A. Manzoni 15
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052 773 405
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Vodnjan, Ulica 1. Maja bb
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052 511 891
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Vodnjan, V. Nazora 16
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052 511 906
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Buje, Krasica 38
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052 776 184
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Oprtalj, Ipši 10, Livade
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052 664 010
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Vodnjan, Mlinska 7
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052 511 035
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Bale, St. Meneghetti bb
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052 528 815
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Rabac, Creska 34
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01 370 1433
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Bale, Domenico Černeka 17
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052 824 284
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Medulin, Burle 36
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052 218 033
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Vodnjan, Istarska 28
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052 511 599
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Buje, Portoroška 15, Plovanija
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052 777 409
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