Córdoba and Sevilla, Andalusia
Hojiblanca (white leaf) takes its name from the silver-white underside of its leaves and produces a medium-intensity oil with balanced fruitiness, moderate bitterness, and a clean, sweet almond finish that distinguishes it from picual's intensity and arbequina's delicacy. Produced primarily in Córdoba, Sevilla, and Granada, it occupies the middle ground of Spanish olive oil and is the variety most frequently used in high-volume restaurant cooking. Hojiblanca matures late — typically December-January for the primary harvest — producing oils with higher ripeness and fruitiness than earlier-harvested varieties. The best oils show a distinctive bitter almond note on the finish that makes them recognisable in blind tasting.
Moderate stability — better suited to medium-heat cooking than raw applications, though still excellent as a finishing oil. The almond finish pairs particularly well with fish, shellfish, and white vegetables. DOP Priego de Córdoba hojiblanca is considered the benchmark. Look for the almond note as the primary quality indicator in tasting.
Use hojiblanca as the daily oil for a Catalan or Andalusian kitchen — its balance makes it versatile without the strong character of picual or the delicacy limitations of arbequina. Drizzle on vanilla ice cream with a pinch of sea salt — this is not a restaurant affectation; it genuinely demonstrates the almond and fruit character of good hojiblanca. Pair with Manchego cheese and fino sherry.
Confusing hojiblanca with generic Andalusian olive oil — the variety is specific and distinguishable. Using it for deep frying where picual is more appropriate (higher stability). Not noticing the almond finish — this is the variety's signature.
Made in Spain by José Andrés