From afar, the Hojiblanca olive tree appears almost silvery, as the undersides of its leaves are white. This circumstance has given the olive variety its name: Hojiblanca, from hoja = the leaf and blanco = white. The olive itself is dark red to black when ripe. Even, oval and weighing around 6 grams, it is one of the larger olive varieties. And because it also has a lot of pulp, it is not only used for pressing oil, but also as a table olive. Hojiblanca olives are very resilient and difficult to pick from the tree, a circumstance that certainly contributes to the fact that the fruit is harvested very late.
Depending on the location of the cultivation area and the intended use, the Hojiblanca olive harvest sometimes takes place in the first week of April. Nevertheless, the oil yield is lower than with other types of olives, which in no way reduces the high quality of Hojiblanca olive oil. Because both the table olive and the Hojiblanca olive oil fascinate with a unique taste experience. From sweet to bitter to savory, you can discover everything in the pretty, black fruit. Because the Spaniards also love this incomparable flavor composition, the Hojiblanca is the third most cultivated olive variety in Spain with a cultivation area of more than 200,000 hectares. Most Hojiblanca olive trees are relatively insensitive to summer droughts in Andalusia, in the provinces of Cordoba, Malaga, Seville and Granada.
If you want to eat well and do something good for your health at the same time, you cannot do without a first-class Hojiblanca olive oil. Because the balanced oil not only convinces with its attractive taste, but also has numerous healthy ingredients to offer. With a very high content (about 75 percent) of oleic acid, the tasty olive oil is only moderately stable, but makes a significant contribution to a healthy diet. Because monounsaturated fatty acids are not only easy to digest, they also support the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. They also help to protect the organs and regulate the cholesterol level. They help reduce bad cholesterol and increase good HDL.
With its polyphenols, which incidentally give Hojiblanca olive oil its slight bitterness, it can counteract the development of tumors. Various studies have shown that polyphenols have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and even blood pressure-regulating effects. This also means that a high-quality Hojiblanca olive oil protects the body's cells from free radicals and can thus prevent a heart attack. Its vitamin E content also contributes to cell protection. At the same time, the oil from the Hojiblanca olive reduces the risk of arteriosclerosis and protects memory.
Do you also have a family member who says per se: "I don't like healthy food!". Then prove him wrong with a high-quality Hojiblanca olive oil. As soon as you sniff the freshly opened bottle, the scent of fresh olives, freshly mown grass, tart herbs and green fruits fills your nose. Swirl the bottle a little and release more aromas, you can perceive nuances of artichokes or even the scent of a spicy chorizo.
Take a sip of pure Hojiblanca olive oil and it will surprise you with its slight sweetness on the tip of your tongue. In the throat, the green to golden olive oil (depending on the time of harvest) has a typical bitterness and the finish is reminiscent of bitter almonds. A slight itching that occurs when swallowing indicates the low level of spiciness of the high-quality olive oil. In hardly any other type of olive oil will you find the three flavors sweet, bitter and hot so harmoniously combined as in Hojiblanca olive oil.
Because of its slightly lower stability, Hojiblanca olive oil is often blended with other olive oils to create a tasty and more oxidation-resistant blend. It is therefore not that easy to get hold of a single-variety olive oil from the Hojiblanca olive. Nevertheless, we have managed to put together a small selection of different manufacturers of this incomparable olive oil for you. However, you should be particularly careful when storing the high-quality oil. Both the supply of oxygen and the incidence of light lead to a rapid loss of quality and aroma.
Therefore, close the bottle with its screw cap immediately after each use. Don't leave the oil on the table or worktop for unnecessarily long periods of time, but stow it in the dark pantry or in a kitchen base cabinet. In these places it is not only protected from light, but is also protected from excessive heat.
Of course, you can use the delicious Hojiblanca olive oil for cooking, marinating and enjoying raw. Because the balanced oil is wonderful for refining the dressing of simple leaf salads as well as colorful mixed salads. It rounds off not only the beef carpaccio, but also a fish carpaccio and underlines the sweet and tart taste of a delicious bruschetta.
The unique olive oil gives fish pots a pleasant smoothness and, as a harmonious addition, is the icing on the cake in both cold and warm sauces. When grilling vegetables, it emphasizes the individual taste of each type of vegetable and also the popular cold Spanish soup, the gazpacho, can be optimized with the hojiblanca olive oil. Convinced? Did we know? Check out which of our top-class oils will become your favorite!
