Ralda+Friends: the territory is important
Our main concern is to allow you to discover the specific flavours of our olive oils. These come from native varieties such as ‘morruda’, ‘farga’ and ‘sevillenca’ which are typical of the area and which are unique throughout the Iberian Peninsula and other more common such as the ‘picual’ or ‘arbequina’ which have been imported successfully with us.
Our plains and hills are perfectly adapted to the production of high quality of olive oil for hundreds years, that´s why there are so many millennia and centuries-old olive trees still today in production in our region. However these same varieties on a different territory don’t give exactly the same tastes, exactly as with the vine.
Tradition and innovation are key in the olive oil extra virgin sector that lives a “revolution” according to Spanish media
Spain is one of the leading producers of olive oil in the world and one of those that offer better quality. However, for many years, other countries, especially Italy, have been better positioned to sell it. In recent years a transformation in the culture of olive oil has led traditional producers to seek a new orientation and offer not only a high quality product, but also to sell it in a different way. This is what explains the article “The revolution of extra virgin olive oil” that the newspaper El Mundo published on March 18, 2016.
The story, that is signed by Cristina Galafate (https://twitter.com/cgalafate), explains the case of a family of Jaen (Andalusia) that has been living in the Sierra del Segura area for 300 years and whose knowledge on producing olive oil has been passing from generation to generation (somewhat similar to the Ralda family).
In this new culture, marketing is not the only factor, but the cultivation, harvesting, pressing and bottling are key for achieving unparalleled quality. That is why olive oil is now seen not only as a product of great gastronomic value but also as an elixir for health. According to the report by Cristina Galafate, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (http://www.eatright.org/) stated that olive oil “is helpful in controlling diabetes and preventing stroke”, while the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (http://ajcn.nutrition.org/) stated that olive oil “helps control blood pressure, reduces the risk of gastric ulcers and prevents aging and degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease”. Experts believe also that it is also a good antioxidant.
