DOP Les Garrigues Lleida

Les Garrigues is the first Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) food product recognized in the Spanish State (1975), and was certified by the European Union as a Protected Designation of Origin in 1996. The PDO is a certification body that subjects the oil from registered cooperatives to rigorous production and processing controls, guaranteeing the origin and maximum quality of what is undoubtedly one of the best oils in the world.

Located in the south of the province of Lleida, the production area is, above all, culture and tradition. The producers and cooperatives of the Les Garrigues PDO have made oil production a way of life to preserve the land and the healthy, natural characteristics of this superior category Arbequina olive oil.

The geographical area covered by the PDO is located in the south of the province of Lleida, and is made up of the region of Les Garrigues, and the south of the regions of Segrià and Urgell.

Good cultivation practices, the climatic conditions of the area, olives harvested directly from the tree and careful cold processing in the Cooperatives and oil mills are the main guarantee for obtaining a superior quality oil, 100% natural, a delicious fruity juice of fresh olives, dense, tasty, with aromas reminiscent of grass and leaves, tomato and green almond.

When the olive is greener, its flavor is more intense, with bitter and spicy attributes for lovers of green oil; when the olive is riper, these attributes are more noticeable, with a predominant sweetness.

Les Garrigues dop oil

It is an extra virgin olive oil from Arbequina with its own character, a fruit of the land and climate of Les Garrigues: a 100% natural fruit juice.

It has a fruity profile reminiscent of fresh olives, whether green or ripe, with notes of almond, grass, leaf, tomato, and artichoke. On the palate, it is sweet, with a balanced bitterness and spiciness. When the olive is green, these qualities are more intense and pronounced; when it ripens, the flavor becomes softer and sweeter.

Rich in antioxidant polyphenols, it is a healthy oil that resists oxidation. Its quality is endorsed by the Regulatory Council of the Les Garrigues PDO, certified by ENAC.

In cooking, it enhances the flavor of dishes, especially when raw, and when fried, it keeps foods crispy without overpowering them with oil. These qualities have placed it among the best extra virgin olive oils in the world.