THE ARBEQUINA OLIVE

The "Arbequina", whose name comes from the town of Arbeca, is one of the smallest olives used to produce olive oil. Rather round, green/violet in colour and shiny, it ripens very early and produces a very fine olive oil. If properly prepared, it can also be eaten as a table olive.
It is the most widespread and best-known variety in Catalonia. It comes from a small tree that withstands frost and drought very well and begins producing after 10 to 15 years.

 

The olive tree
The olive tree has strong, well-branched roots. Root development varies depending on how the tree was planted. If the tree is grown from seed, it develops a main vertical root; otherwise, the roots grow horizontally. Over time, the union of these roots with the trunk constitutes the "soca".