· The Castilian-La Mancha village of Retuerta del Bullaque features in the EVOOLEUM Awards
· Dehesa El Molinillo Coratina produces the best EVOO in the world
Spain does not only win in sports. Our Spanish olive oils are positioning themselves as the best in the world, even leaving behind Italy, which for years has been dominant with its extra virgin olive oils, recognized as the healthiest in the world. However, an international competition has named a village in Ciudad Real as the producer of the healthiest olive oil in the world. We are talking about the municipality of Retuerta del Bullaque.
In a world where health is a priority, some foods stand out for their exceptional benefits. Such is the case with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), whose quality and health properties have been recognized in the latest edition of the Evooleum Awards. This contest, organized by Grupo Editorial Mercacei and AEMO, not only rewards the best olive oils in the world but also highlights the healthiest ones through the TOP10 Healthy EVOOs, according to Mercacei.
This year, an EVOO from Ciudad Real has achieved a historic milestone: Dehesa El Molinillo Coratina, produced by the company Nortia Agricultural in Retuerta del Bullaque, has been crowned the healthiest extra virgin olive oil in the world. This monocultivar oil of the Coratina variety has reached a phenolic fraction of 1,386 parts per million (p.p.m.), far surpassing its competitors.
How to know if an olive oil is healthier?
The key to determining how healthy an EVOO is lies in its content of phenolic compounds, which are potent antioxidants that protect the oil from deterioration and contribute benefits to our diet. According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the daily consumption of 20 grams of extra virgin olive oil with at least 250 mg of phenolic compounds per liter can have protective effects against blood lipid oxidation, anti-inflammatory properties, and benefits for the immune system.
The process to obtain an oil with a high phenolic content is not simple. Factors such as the altitude of the olive grove, the olive variety, the type of agriculture (irrigated or rainfed), and the treatment of the olives play a crucial role. In this context, the excellent conditions of the Cabañeros National Park area have been fundamental for Dehesa El Molinillo Coratina to achieve its excellence.
Surpassing Italian tradition
Second place in the TOP10 Healthy EVOOs is occupied by the Italian Natyoure Bio Selezione Gold, from Frantoio Oleario Mossa Domenica, with 1,119 p.p.m., followed by the Tunisian Domaine Adonis Picholine, from Adonis Olive Oil, with 1,071 p.p.m. Italy, historically a powerhouse in olive oil production, has seen how Spain has begun to gain ground in the production of high-quality oils.
The success of Nortia Agricultural and its Dehesa El Molinillo Coratina is not only a triumph for Ciudad Real but also an indicator of Spain’s growing prominence in the global market for superior quality olive oils. This international recognition reinforces Spain’s position as a formidable competitor in the olive industry, capable of producing oils that are not only exquisite to the palate but also beneficial for health.
The EVOOLEUM Awards, the International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Quality Awards promoted by Grupo Editorial Mercacei and AEMO, have recognized the 10 healthiest EVOOs on the planet, the TOP10 Healthy EVOOs, for four editions now. On this occasion, the one proclaimed as the best EVOO in the world in 2024 is also the extra virgin olive oil with the highest total phenol content. And it is not Andalusian, Italian, or Croatian, but rather from La Mancha.
What makes it healthy
Extra virgin olive oil possesses countless virtues, but above all, it is health. The TOP10 Healthy EVOOs of the EVOOLEUM Awards recognizes those EVOOs that contain a higher phenolic fraction, that is, a higher content of total phenols, a pioneering initiative in this type of competition. It is worth remembering that, due to their antioxidant nature, phenolic compounds provide oxidative stability and protect the oil from long-term deterioration. Furthermore, they possess outstanding nutritional interest thanks to their health properties, recognized by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). A beneficial effect that is achieved with the daily consumption of 20 grams of olive oil with a minimum content of 250 mg of phenolic compounds per kilo of oil. This concentration translates into a minimum daily intake of 5 mg of phenolic compounds, or in other words, that the EVOO we consume has more than 250 p.p.m. (parts per million).
Among the factors that explain the phenolic composition of olive oil are the variety or the altitude above sea level, as well as the type of olive grove—irrigated or rainfed—, the care and dedication in the production process, or whether organic farming practices are adopted in its cultivation.
The healthiest EVOO in the world is from La Mancha. Well, according to the results of the analyses carried out by the Department of Analytical Chemistry at the University of Córdoba to determine the concentration of phenolic compounds in the TOP100 of the EVOOLEUM Awards, the best EVOO in the world in the 2023/24 campaign, Dehesa El Molinillo Coratina, is also the healthiest olive juice on the planet. With 1,386 p.p.m., this excellent monocultivar with PDO Montes de Toledo comes from olive groves of varieties such as the native Cornicabra, Coratina, or Empeltre that the company Nortia Agricultural owns in the municipality of Retuerta del Bullaque (Ciudad Real), sheltered by the Montes de Toledo and the Cabañeros National Park.
Dehesa El Molinillo Coratina – The best EVOO in the world
The others on the list
It is followed with 1,119 p.p.m. by another Coratina monocultivar—in this case from Puglia—, Natyoure Bio Selezione Gold, from Frantoio Oleario Mossa Domenica, an organic extra virgin olive oil that has been part of the TOP10 Healthy EVOOs in all editions except one; completing the podium of the three healthiest EVOOs in the world is the Tunisian juice Domaine Adonis Picholine, from Adonis Olive Oil, with 1,071 p.p.m.
Seven Italian EVOOs and six of Coratina. Already below 1,000 p.p.m., six other Italian extra virgin olive oils appear: Don Gioacchino, from Azienda Agricola Sabino Leone, which reaches 911 p.p.m., just like Guglielmi Monocultivar Coratina, from Guglielmi Saverio, S.n.c.; Oilalà Biologico Monocultivar Coratina, from Oilalà, S.r.l. (858 p.p.m.); Verde, from Miceli & Sensat Azienda Agricola Biologica (857 p.p.m.), which repeats its presence in the TOP10 with U’Ciuri (772 p.p.m.); and Di Molfetta Frantoiani Monocultivar Coratina, from Di Molfetta Pantaleo & C., S.n.c. (819 p.p.m.). Closing the TOP10 Healthy EVOOs is a Croatian EVOO from Istria, Oio Vivo Vodnjanska Buza (753 p.p.m.), from Oleum Maris d.o.o. —last year Mate Bianca Bellezza, an organic monocultivar of Bianchera, was crowned the healthiest EVOO in the world.
In total, in the present edition we find 7 Italian EVOOs, 1 Spanish, 1 Tunisian, and another Croatian —half of them organic—, with Coratina as the main protagonist, as no fewer than six juices of this variety from Puglia stand in the ranking of the healthiest EVOOs in the world.
A sanctuary for centenarian and millenarian olive trees
Ricardo Almonacid, a small olive oil producer in Spain, has launched a campaign with the aim of preventing the disappearance of centenarian and millenarian olive trees. These trees, inherited from previous generations, require little water or fertilizers and can withstand any extreme climate, thereby concentrating all their aromas and flavors of the ‘terroir’, as well as therapeutic elements that prevent diseases such as hepatitis, cancer, or Alzheimer’s.
The increase in olive plantations driven by intensive farming techniques has generated a negative impact on the environment, using large amounts of water, fertilizers, gasoline, and phytosanitary products. This has led to the production of an Extra Virgin Olive Oil with fewer therapeutic elements, flavors, and aromas. Furthermore, it has caused the disappearance of magnificent specimens of olive trees that form part of the history of Spain.
The fundraising for this campaign seeks to create a sanctuary for the olive trees, protecting those specimens that are at risk of being destroyed by activities such as the installation of wind macro-sites, solar panels, or intensive macro-plantations. This sanctuary will be open to the public throughout the year and will feature a small oil mill to offer a unique experience to visitors during the harvest season.