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Frequently Asked Questions from Buyers

This section provides a quick reference of answers to questions that consumers of Lebanese extra virgin olive oil often ask us. If you have an important question that is not answered here, please let us know and we will add it.

1. What makes the Lebanese olive oil so special?

The olive tree is native to this part of the world and the local varieties are adapted to the environment.
The olives grown in Lebanon are predominantly non-irrigated ancient local varieties, each with their own unique special agronomic and organoleptic characteristics.
For thousands of years, olive oil has been extracted and consumed in Lebanon as a major ingredient of local foods, as a remedy for many illnesses, and as a luxury ingredient for cosmetics and aromatherapy.
Lebanon’s diverse topography and microclimate, coupled with its variety of wild and cultivated plants, give each region's oil a unique aroma and taste.

2. What are the taste characteristics of Lebanese olive oil?

Oils are like wines. Based on the variety, the local environment where the trees grow, the harvest time, and the pressing technique used, olive oils have different tastes. Common tastes of Lebanese oils include green tomato, almond, apple, artichoke, herbs, green fruit, and pepper.
Some Lebanese olive oils are peppery tasting, others are spicy, and still others are sweet. This is not a taste defect of the olive oil. Peppery oils are usually the result of pressing green olives that have been harvested early. This taste is the result of the polyphenols and vitamin E in the oil that are important for the oil's long conservation and for human health. Sweet oils, on the other hand, are also healthy and usually result from pressing mature, black olive fruits.
From an organoleptic point of view, Lebanese olive oils are complex, with a diversity and harmony of aromas. In general, they have a mild aroma and are both intense and mellow on the tongue, with tastes of fresh almonds, green beans, green bananas, artichokes, or mature tomatoes, sometimes with a peppery finish.

3. What are the visual characteristics of Lebanese olive oil?

The olive oil color may vary with the location, variety, harvesting period, and age of the oil. This has nothing to do with the quality of the oil. Some Lebanese olive oils have a greenish, cloudy appearance, while some are very clear.
Clear oil is usually filtered oil. However non-filtered turbid oil will become clear after some time once the residues from pressing have settled in the bottom of the container. Both filtered and non-filtered oil are good as long as they have no defects or unwanted impurities in them.

4. Is all Lebanese olive oil of high quality?

The extra virgin olive oil from Lebanon is special in its taste. However, not all the oil is extra virgin or of high quality. To produce high quality extra virgin olive oil, we must perform good field operations, follow proper harvesting practices, use good pressing techniques, and store the oil under proper conditions.
Whether the oil is pressed in the traditional mills or in modern semi-automatic or automatic mills, extraction and storage conditions are critical to the oil’s quality. Though several mills throughout Lebanon produce high-quality extra virgin olive oil, the percentage of extra virgin oil produced varies depending on the grower and the mill.

5. From which variety of olives is Lebanese olive oil derived?

Lebanese olive oil is derived from a number of local olive varieties that include the Souri, Ayrouni, Baladi, Chami, and Smoukmouki. Most of these varieties are adapted to oil production with a relatively high oil content of around 20-22%.
The Beladi variety of olive produces an olive oil with a distinctive honey and peppery flavor and an herbal aroma.
For a brief description of the olive varieties in Lebanon, see: Gasparini, Paul and May Mezher (October 2002). Filiere de L'Olivier au Liban: Analyse Sectorielle. Food and Agriculture Organization. (contact the FAO office in Beirut and/or the Ministry of Agriculture)
See the following web site for an overview of olive varieties by regions of the world: http://www.cias2004.com/ingles/aceite.htm

6. Does all Lebanese olive oil come from the Koura region of Lebanon?

Lebanese olive oil is produced in many different regions around the country. While Koura is probably the best known region internationally, it contains only around 10% of the total land in olive cultivation in Lebanon. There are many other regions that produce high-quality extra virgin olive oil for export.
These other olive oil producing regions in Lebanon include: Akkar, Zgharta, Batroun, Chouf, Tyr, Nabatiye, Hasbaya, Marjeyoun, and Rachaya el Fukhar, corresponding to the geographical areas Lebanon where olives have grown for thousands of years.

7. What is the shelf life for olive oil? How should it be stored?

Olive oil is best consumed within one to two years of pressing.
Shelf life is variable, depending on the olive variety, ripeness when pressed, care in processing, and filtering.
Olive oil should be stored in a dark, cool area such as a cupboard away from heat or direct light.
Stored olive oil should not come into contact with the air. If at home, it is recommended that when large oil containers are already open for use, the oil should be transferred into smaller bottles that are quickly consumed to avoid longer contact with the air in large containers.
Olive oil is like a sponge that absorbs all the smells around it. It should therefore not be kept in a location with other odors.

8. What is an extra virgin olive oil?
Extra Virgin olive oil is the highest quality of olive oil. It is made exclusively from the fruit of the olive tree using mechanical or physical means that do not alter the oil. Olive oils are graded according to their organoleptic (taste and aroma) and analytic characteristics defined by governing bodies including the International Olive Oil Council (http://www.internationaloliveoil.org). Extra virgin olive oil is the highest quality, and meets the following (and other) standards: a free acidity, expressed an oleic acid of not more than 0.8 per 100 grams and a peroxide value of less than 20 meq O2/kg. (For more details, see: http://www.oliveoilsource.com/definitions.htm)

9. How much Lebanese Olive Oil is available, how much of it is extra virgin, and how much is exported?

As happens worldwide, Lebanese olive and olive oil production fluctuate from year to year. The fluctuations in Lebanon, however may be higher than in other areas in the world for various reasons. For example, Lebanese olive groves are almost always rain fed (irrigation reduces production fluctuations), groves are mostly composed of traditional local varieties (that do not respond well to factors that may diminish fluctuations), and some traditional pruning and harvesting methods may promote this alternate bearing.
In 2002, total Lebanese olive oil production was estimated to be 25,816 metric tons. In 2003, the total dropped to about 7,000 metric tons, about a quarter of 2002 production. In 2004, total olive oil production reached about 26,000 metric tons, similar to production in 2002.
Extra virgin olive oil production was estimated at about 2,750 metric tons in 2004. It is estimated that the average percentage of extra virgin out of the total olive oil produced in Lebanon is 10-15%. Due to its popularity, most Lebanese olive oil is consumed in the local market.
In 2004, extra virgin exports from Lebanon were estimated to be about 150 metric tons.
Lebanese olive oil is exported in different ways. Usually, extra virgin and virgin oil is exported in bottles or containers varying in volume from 500 ml to 5 liters. Other grades of oil can be exported in bulk.

10. Where can I find high-quality extra virgin Lebanese olive oil on the market?

There has always been good quality extra virgin Lebanese olive oil in the local and international markets. In Lebanon, it is a tradition for families to buy their olive oil directly from local villagers they trust. Internationally, extra virgin Lebanese olive oil is available at fine dining and grocery establishments, particularly those catering to Lebanese and Middle Eastern foods.
A list of on-line and traditional retail establishments, and a form for stores to contact distributors and growers is available on the Where to Buy page.