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Israel becoming powerhouse of first-crop olive oil

Several family olive groves in Israel are specialized in first-crop olive oil, a cloudy oil containing very fresh, very strong flavors.
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Neta Degany is busy. The harvest period of olives is expected to stretch out this year through almost two months because of a great variation in ripening, so time is of the essence. More so, most of the future production of Degany family olive oil has already been commissioned way before the olives have been picked off the trees. “This year we will sell almost exclusively only first-crop olive oil. Our customers have placed their orders long ago," Degany tells Al-Monitor.

By customers, she means mostly restaurant owners and chefs, but also simple connoisseurs. She notes that their boutique olive oil has become a product much in demand both locally and abroad, especially the first-crop oil. “Our oil is extracted from olives of the Nabali variety, which is an ancient local one. The Nabali fruits produce less oil than other varieties, but anyone who appreciates olive oil knows that the taste of the oil extracted from Nabali trees is really exceptional," she explains.

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