Galega Vulgar is the historic native olive of central Portugal and the traditional base of many Portuguese DOP oils. It gives a soft, sweet, aromatic oil — ripe and dried fruit, almond, a gentle finish — and is usually blended with firmer varieties like Cobrançosa and Madural that bring structure and stability, since Galega on its own oxidises relatively quickly. It is also cured as a table olive. A mellow, distinctly Portuguese character.
Soft and sweet: ripe and dried fruit with almond, a gentle finish.
A late ripener, picked from November into December and January. Buy the freshest crop you can find — and check the harvest date on the bottle.