It’s been known for years that olive oil is one of the healthiest out there. Of course, you need to make sure you’re picking the right one from all the available options, but it’s nothing a little research won’t help you with. One important step you have to take is to find out which are the 7 countries that make the best olive oil in the world.
Now, finding which brands are the best and which types of olive oils are the purest, you have to take a good look at what’s available. If you didn’t know, there are several competitions around the world where olive oil assortments are judged by knowledgeable panels who rank them by a series of features before giving out awards that producers can pride themselves with.
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First things first, however. Choosing the best olive oil is a chore and you need to be able to attentively read the labels. Most important is for it to have a label that says “extra-virgin” olive oil. Of course, depending on the brand, you might want to sip on it as it is or throw it away for its foul taste. Keep in mind that this is a multi-billion-dollar industry, which means there’s a lot of competition and a lot of false advertising going on as generic brands try to attract you to buy their products.
For instance, even if an oil bottle is marked as coming from a certain variety of oils, it’s not a guarantee it’s going to be a good one. There’s also the issue of transportation where many ship the olive oil without refrigerating it, which alters the taste. Some olive oils are diluted or adulterated, especially the more lucrative extra-virgin olive oils.
There are several things you need to look at. One is the grade of olive oil, where extra-virgin is the highest quality. Another is whether the olives were harvested early or late, the former being when more olives are needed to produce the same quantity of oil, but the overall quality is higher. There’s also the matter of whether you want a filtered or unfiltered version of oil, but that’s more a thing of preference. Much like when looking at the 7 countries that make the best wine in the world, your preference may vary to those of the experts.
But let’s first take a look at the 7 countries that make the best olive oil in the world. In order to create our ranking we took a look at several different contests. On one hand, there’s The World’s Best Olive Oils, a prestigious olive oil quality competition that took place in New York earlier this year.
Then, we took a list at two other competitions ranking the best 50 olive oils in the world, as well as the best organic olive oils. Lastly, we took a look at the countries shipping the largest batches of olive oil in the world.
7. Chile
Points – 9
During the New York competition, Chilean olive oils managed to bring two “best” titles, and two silver medals, out of 15 total entries. The country exports about 12 tons of olive oil per year. Generally speaking, the bottles from this country come from olives grown between the Atacama and Maule regions. The Mediterranean climate makes it perfect for olive growing, thanks to the rainy winders and the summers that are dry and hot.
The olive oil here has been getting international recognition in the past few years and many believe that the country’s products will soon be getting even more famous as the world starts to know them better.
6. Turkey
Points – 10
At the border between Europe and Asia sits Turkey, the perfect place to grow olives given the Mediterranean climate. Out of the 20 different Turkish olive oils entered in the New York competition three brought home gold medals and one a silver medal. The country exports about 35,000 tons of olive oil annually, out of the estimated 190,000 tons it produces. Most of the olive oil imported by the United States comes from several countries, including Turkey.
The country has a long history of growing olive trees. There are an estimated 250 million olive trees in Turkey, a country of some 73 million people, most of which grow close to the Aegean Sea. There are multiple varieties growing in the country, but Ayvalik seems to be the most used.
5. United States
Points – 12
Olives may not grow natively in the Americas, but Spanish colonists brought them over back in the day when the New World was being (re)discovered. The United States grows a few varieties of olives and it produces about 10,000 tons per year.
While it may not be one of the biggest olive oil manufacturers, the United States has managed to have a very successful year. Out of 94 different olive oils entered in the New York contest, 38 won some kind of award. More specifically, one brought in the “best” title, 19 won a gold medal and 18 a silver medal, which is quite impressive.
The United States of America exported about 4,000 tons of olive oil in the past year, a drop from the 6,000 tons it exported in prior years. The most popular olives to grow in the USA are the Castelvetrano and the Arbosana.
4. Greece
Points – 14
When you think of Greece you think of olive oil and the other way around. Therefore, it’s quite a surprise to find the ancient country on the fourth spot among countries that make the best olive oil in the world. However, that’s how things are.
At the contest awarding the best olive oils in the world, Greece brought 168 different types. Out of these, 19 brought in the gold medal and 16 the silver medal, which means it wasn’t exactly the most successful year for the Mediterranean country.
Two oils produced in Greece, namely the Pelion Olive Farms and the Maleas, occupied the 18th and 23rd place in the charts of the best organic olive oils in 2014/2015. The former is made out of green olives of the Amfissis variety and sells for about $22 per 17 ounces, and the latter is made out of Koroneiki and Athinoelia varieties and sells for a similar price.
Greece exported about 11,500 tons of olive oil in the past year, although it makes about 310,000 tons per year.
3. Portugal
Points – 18
Up next is Portugal, another country that has the perfect climate to grow olives. Not only does the country grow several varieties of olives, but it also makes some pretty good oils. Out of the 33 different oils entered in the New York contest, 22 won awards.
One got the “best” title, 15 won gold medals and 6 got silver. Twelve different oils also made the Top 50 Best Olive Oils of 2014/2015, while the CARM Praemium won the fourth place among the best organic oils. This oil is made out of olives grown in the Douro Valley and sells for about $15 per 17 oz bottle.
Portugal exported about 53,000 tons of olive oil in the past year, which is quite an impressive feat. It’s not really a surprise, however, especially since there’s a tradition to produce olive oil, a culture if you will. There are numerous brands from Portugal, the products coming from numerous plantations across the country.
2. Italy
Points – 25
Coming up next is Italy, another country with a tradition in olive oil making. Not only do they produce a lot of olive oil, they also do it very well. In fact, out of the 99 assortments of oil entered in the US contest, 43 won awards. Five of them managed to bring in the “best” tag, while 30 won gold medals. Eight brought in silver medals.
The Italian brand Orice Riserva won the eight place among the top olive oils in the world, while other 9 take up different other spots in the top 50. When it comes to organic olive oils, Italy’s Olivastro Etichetta Near takes up the 7th place, but an additional twelve occupy other places in the top 25.
Italy exported about 243,700 tons of olive oil in the past year out of the estimated 440,000 tons it produces in a year.
1. Spain
Points – 26
Out of all the olive oil producers in the world, Spain ranks the highest. At the 2015 Best Olive Oils awards in New York, Spain entered 136 bottles which brought in 73 awards. They won 3 “best” awards, 53 gold medals and 17 silver medals, making for a quite impressive rate of success of 54%.
The Spanish olive oils also ruled other contests. Out of the 50 Best Olive Oils in the World, brands from Spain occupied 28 spots. Similarly, out of the 25 best organic olive oils, Spanish brands took up 10 spots, which is obviously quite great. Venta del Baron Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which ranked highest among the 50 best olive oils, sells for $22 per 17-ounce bottle. A 33-ounce tin of Oro del Desierto Organic sells for $42.50, but per ounce that’s actually cheaper!
Spain produces about 1.11 million tons of olive oil per year. Out of this number, it exported about 225,000 tons in the past year.
So there you have it, the seven countries that make the best olive oil in the world. You might want to invest in some great olive oil the next time you go shopping, especially given the health benefits these bring.
