Morisca Olives
A traditional olive of Extremadura: dual-purpose, for a fruity oil and a table olive.
The Morisca is a traditional olive of Extremadura, in western Spain, centred on the Tierra de Barros around Almendralejo. It is dual-purpose: pressed it gives a fruity, fresh, medium oil ; cured it makes a sound table olive. It is a mainstay of the Extremaduran groves, often grown and blended alongside the local Verdial and Manzanilla Cacereña.
- Origin
- Extremadura (Tierra de Barros) · Spain
- Type
- Table & oil
- Colour
- Green to black
- Flavour (oil)
- Fruity, fresh, medium
- Role
- Extremaduran mainstay
- Companions
- Verdial, Cacereña
- Best for
- Oil and table olives
Extremadura’s traditional olive
Extremadura is one of Spain’s great, under-sung olive regions, and the Morisca is among its traditional varieties. Adaptable and productive, it gives a fresh, fruity, medium-intensity oil and a decent table olive, and it shares the Tierra de Barros with Verdial and Manzanilla Cacereña in the local protected oils.
The name Morisca (“Moorish”) is a nod to the deep Andalusi-era roots of olive growing in this part of Spain. As with its neighbours, it is more a regional workhorse than an export name — look for a named Tierra de Barros oil to taste it.