Picual dominates the great olive sea of Jaén and supplies a fifth of all the olive oil produced on the planet. Its oil is unmistakable: green and assertive when fresh, with fig leaf, green tomato and a black-pepper sting at the back of the throat. A high oleic-acid and polyphenol content makes it the most oxidation-stable of the major varieties — it keeps its freshness longer and stands up to heat better than almost any other oil. Picked riper it turns rounder and slightly woody; picked early it is intense and bracingly bitter.
Bold and green: fig leaf, green tomato and a peppery, throat-catching finish.
Picked from late October through December; earlier picking gives the most intense, peppery oil. Buy the freshest crop you can find — and check the harvest date on the bottle.