Portuguese olive oil

History of olive oil production in Portugal

The country of Portugal is located in the south western part of the European continent and is flanked by Spain in the north and east and the vast Atlantic Ocean in the south and west. The Mediterranean type climate in certain parts of Portugal are very conducive to the growth of olive oil and after its inclusion into the European union in the 1980s Portugal has also begun exporting its olive oil and is currently ranked eighth in the world. In fact in many farms of Portugal today, olive groves are cultivated along with the vines which produce Portuguese wines, its most well known product world wide.

The origins of olive oil cultivation in Portugal can be traced to have its sources in the historical ages. In times of antiquity, around the 8th millennium BC, it is believed that the Neolithic people collected the olives which were indigenous to the Mediterranean basin. Several parts of the eastern Mediterranean basin were incorporated as part of the formidable Roman Empire like Portugal and various influences from those times remain even today. During the 8th century BC, through the trading activities of the Carthaginians and the Phoenicians, the art of growing olive trees reached the Iberian Peninsula.

In the beginning of olive production in Portugal, there was no desire to export and almost all the olive oil cultivated was used in catering to the domestic markets. However, during the early eighties with the benefits of polyunsaturated vegetable oils coming to the forefront, the importance or demand for olive oil suffered a backseat in Portugal. But with its joining the European Union, the scenario has improved immensely and Portugal is now ranked eighth in the world market. Oil mills and refineries have been developed and some of the premier olive oil producing regions include Norte Alentjano, the hills of the Moura region, the upper Douro and the Tras-os-Montes in the northern part of Portugal.