My father was born in the Sierra de Segura, in a small village called Los Prados de Armijo. This region is located deep in the interior of Spain, about 300 km south of Madrid and about 200 km north-east of Granada. From an early age we always went there to visit our family, including my grandfather and grandmother. The large number of olive trees have always made a deep impression on me and have always stayed with me, although when I was young I had no idea how important this region is for the production of olive oil worldwide and that the best olive oil in the world comes from here.
In this blog I would therefore like to focus on the Sierra de Segura region and the protected designation of origin "Denominación the Origen Sierra de Segura" or simply DO Sierra de Segura, a region known for its high quality Spanish extra virgin olive oil.
What is Denominación de Origen (DO) Sierra de Segura
Before I started selling olive oil, I knew the protected designations of origin, either DO or DOP, only for wine and for Italian products such as Parma ham and Parmesan cheese. When I bought a good Parma ham or Parmesan cheese in the supermarket, I always looked for the stamp of a DO and even though it was a bit more expensive, I knew that I was buying the real quality products and not a cheap imitation.
When I started delving into the world of olive oil, I discovered that there are also DOs for olive oil. These are labels that indicate that the olive oil comes from a specific region and meets strict quality requirements. For example, there are DOs for olive oil from Andalusia, Tuscany and Crete. By focusing on extra virgin olive oil with a DO, I can guarantee my customers that they are purchasing an authentic and high-quality product, such as Spanish organic extra virgin olive oil.
In Spain, DOs are protected and allocated by the Ministry of Agriculture. A complete list of the DO can be found, among others, on the website of " Aceites de oliva de España" , an authority in the field of olive oil and fats , which provides extensive information about olive oil comes from Spain and also the Sierra de Segura region .
For visualisation, the Ministry of Agriculture of Spain has published the following map:
Source: https://sig.mapama.gob.es/Docs/alimentacion/PDF/DO_Aceite.pdf
Quality guarantees from the DO Sierra de Segura
In the Sierra de Segura, the quality of 21 olive oil producers and 27 brands from the region is certified by the DO Sierra de Segura. The Sierra de Segura is a region where Picual olives are grown and pressed for their high quality, unique fats and presence of polyphenols and antioxidants. Only extra virgin olive oil that meets strict controls receives the DO Sierra de Segura label, so that consumers are assured of the quality of the product and that this olive oil is among the best extra virgin olive oil. Some of the requirements are that the olive oil is obtained from the first pressing, cold (below 27 degrees) and mechanically. In addition to controls during the production process and harvest, it is essential that each batch of olive oil is checked by the DO Sierra de Segura to ensure quality.
The DO Sierra de Segura carries out an analysis on all storage of olive oil from registered olive oil presses. Samples of olive oil are collected by a technician from the DO Sierra de Segura to certify the origin and are then sent to laboratories for physicochemical analyzes (acidity, peroxides and K270) and sensory analysis.
If the properties of the samples correspond to those of extra virgin olive oil and evidence of the absence of chemical residues is provided, certification is carried out. According to this quality process, the DO Sierra de Segura guarantees the quality of extra virgin olive oil and the absence of chemicals in all extra virgin olive oils bottled with the DO Sierra de Segura label.
All DO Sierra de Segura olive oils are sold in different packages, but it is required that the products have a numbered label on the package that is only provided by the DO Sierra de Segura. The DO Sierra de Segura can be recognized by the characteristic squirrel, in Spanish "Ardilla" and is known for its extra virgin olive oil. A distinction is also made between the early harvest "Cosescha temprana" where it is green in color and the normal harvest where the back label is normal in color.
Taste extra virgin olive oil yourself with DO Sierra de Segura
It is therefore important to pay attention to DOs when purchasing extra virgin olive oil because it is a mark of quality, just like you do with wine, ham and cheese. The extra virgin olive oil from Sierra de Segura is produced according to strict rules and regulations established by the DO Sierra de Segura. This guarantees that the olive oil is of the highest quality and meets strict requirements in terms of production, taste and aroma. This way you can be sure that you have a top-quality product in your hands and you support local producers who make their products with care and passion, including the Spanish extra virgin olive oil that my family has been making for decades. All my producers with the DO Sierra de Segura can be found in the registered companies on the DO Sierra de Segura site (Arte Oleum and Jaencoop (parent company of Olivar de Segura))
The more I read, learn and delve into the extra virgin olive oil that my family has been making for generations, the more I realize how special the olive oil from my father's native region is as a food and why it is called liquid gold. Therefore, read more about the health effects of extra virgin olive oil, the beneficial effects of monounsaturated fatty acids and cardiovascular disease in my blog about health benefits of extra virgin olive oil .
Would you like to know more about extra virgin olive oil with a DO Sierra de Segura and want to taste and experience it yourself? Then take a look at the collection in my webshop that consists of all olive oils with the DO Sierra de Segura .
