Tiny in volume, mighty in quality — Croatia quietly makes some of the world’s best oil.
Croatia has pressed oil since Roman times, and today its Adriatic coast turns out small quantities of exceptional extra virgin. Dalmatia’s backbone is the hardy, dual-purpose Oblica, grown along the coast and islands. To the north, the Istrian peninsula — with varieties like Buža, Leccino and Frantoio — has become a fixture at the very top of international oil guides.
Because production is small and quality high, Croatian oil is rarely cheap but rarely disappoints. A named Oblica or an Istrian blend is one of the Mediterranean’s great under-the-radar discoveries. The Croatian olives we’ve covered so far are below.