Hojiblanca olive oil: Andalusia's balanced variety
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.