Picual facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Picual
Picual olives in Catalonia
Olive (Olea europaea)
Origin	Spain
Use	Oil and table

The Picual olive is a very popular type of olive tree from Spain. It's also known by other names like Marteña or Lopereña. Picual olives are mostly grown to make olive oil, especially in the Spanish region of Jaén. About 25% of all olive oil made worldwide comes from Picual trees. These olives naturally have a lot of oil, usually between 20% and 27% of their weight.

Characteristics

Olive oil made from Picual olives has many healthy compounds called polyphenols. These compounds are like tiny helpers that have antioxidant effects, which means they can protect your body's cells. The amount of polyphenols in Picual oil is usually quite high, from 300 to 700 parts per million.

Sometimes, Picual olives are picked when they are very ripe or even overripe. This helps get the most oil out of them. However, picking them this late can sometimes make the oil taste not as good. Because of this, less than a quarter of the Picual olive oil harvested each year is good enough to be called "Extra Virgin" olive oil, which is the highest quality.

Other Names

The Picual olive has many different names depending on the area. Some of these names include Aceite, Andaluza, Carlon, Fina, Jabata, Lopereño, Marteño, Molejona, Moradillo, Nevadillo, Picuda, Redondilla, and Sevillano.

See also

In Spanish: Picual para niños