Siurana (olive oil)
DOP Siurana is the protected designation of origin of an olive oil from Catalonia . It is checked by the Control Council of the Consell Regulador de la Denominació d'Origen Protegida (DOP) Siurana , based in Reus , and is the oldest protected designation of origin for olive oil. The designation of origin refers to the place Siurana and the river of the same name in the center of the growing area.
Growing area
The area of origin covers a strip in the province of Tarragona along the Mediterranean. Cultivation, pressing, storage and bottling takes place exclusively at 6000 producers in the communities of Comarques Priorat , Baix Camp , Baix Penedès , Alt Camp , Conca de Barberà , Tarragonès as well as in the communities of La Palma d'Ebre , Garcia and the suburb of Serra d ' Almos from Tivissa in the comarca of Ribera d'Ebre . The climate of this region with an average annual rainfall of 380 to 550 mm and an average annual temperature of 14.5 ° C to 16 ° C offer the suitable conditions for the cultivation of the olive trees. The registered and controlled cultivation area covers 12,000 hectares, the average annual production of DOP Siurana is around 4,000 tons. The 2008/2009 harvest produced 5100 tons. Cultivation and harvest of the olives as well as the production of the oil are controlled.
The oil
In DOP Siurana is a virgin olive oil from the first pressing, which directly and only by mechanical processes from olives of the varieties " Arbequina is obtained" (at least 90 percent), "Royal" and "Morrut". This does not change the natural composition of the oil and the ingredients are retained. The olive harvest takes place in November and December. Depending on the time of harvest, the oil has a more greenish or yellowish color. The Siurana oil has only a few bitter substances and an acidity of 0.10 percent.
literature
- Report in El Punt of April 10, 2007 (Catalan)