Top Olive Oil Producing Countries

very interesting! God knows where Syria (or Libya) is now ...

Still no updates about that ...

Yeah they used to be the biggest producer of olive oil but due to war and terrorism, they starting to go down.

Well, as far as I know, they haven't been misplaced. They are both still bordering the Mediterranean.

Italian and Greek olive oil are rather famous but Spanish olive oil? They produce more metric tons than both Italy and Greece combined yet I can't recall that I ever purchased Spanish olive oil. They probably sell it where I shop since they have tons of different types of cooking oil there but it never stood out to me.

I've seen a lot of Spanish olive oil where I live. I guess they export it to some places and not to others.

I've had Spanish olive oil, as well.

If by chance you ever go around Jaén in Andalusia, you could see the scale of the Spanish production. I think it's by far the biggest olive field in the world, it's really mind blowing. If you want quality, buy French of Greek oil, Spain is more about mass production, even if you can also find some totally respectable oils right there. Drawbacks, French and quality Greek olive oils are expensive as hell.

Goya is one brand of Spanish olive oil that is common in my area.

My mother bought her olive oil by the gallon and it was always Spanish. Huge metal tins of the stuff.

Italy buys a lot of olive oil from Spain and labels it as it was produced there.

Also I'm surprised you havent heard about Spanish oil, as it is usually said as one of the best.

True for Spanish oil branded as Italian

I've been to Andalusia a few years ago and we took the Bus from Malaga to Granada. When I looked out of the window all I could see were olive trees as far as the eye could see.

Chances are you have purchased Spanish olive oil, but branded as Italian or Greek. In fact, Italy is the one of the main importers of olive oil in the world... from Spain. They just bottle it and put their sticker, and they are just obliged to state that it is oil from "the European Union".

I tried Saudi Arabia and almost threw my computer because I KNOW SAUDI ARABIA PRODUCES OIL and then I read the title again...

The hint gave it away

Not really, it is rather common knowledge that olive oil comes from the Mediterranean . (If anything the clue made people forget about chile and argentina)

If you know anything about climate regions, you're quite likely to try Argentina and Chile; both countries have large stretches of land with a Mediterranean climate. Australia too. And South Africa, though they don't grow a lot of olives there.

Very surprised just based off geography that Chile, Mexico and Australia aren't on the list. Not that they are known producers but because of size, climate and propensity to grow a lot of high dollar crops.

It looks like they were added. Large parts have Mediterranean climate there.

I live in Jaen (Andalusia, Spain), the main place in the world in production of olive oil. In most villages and towns from this province olive oil is almost the only economic base and way of life. But much of this oil is sold to Italy where they label and commercialise it, although the raw material is spanish.

Got Jordan with one second left! :)

Got USA with a few seconds left!

Really what

Must have something to do with the Mediterranean climate (sarcasm btw)

Almost as if that is where the olive is native to.

Interesting how Cyprus anf Turkmenistan, countries that have olive branches on their flags, are not on this list. (I am not saying they should be, Cyprus is too small, and Turkmenistan, well, they are not that much into olive).

Olive branches are a sign of peace, not olive oil production.

Yes, but they are also signs of olive trees, which produces olives and therefore olive oil.

I had no idea which countries produce olive oil, but luckily, I was found out which regions produced this resource. As in temperate regions. I got 100% in the first hit.

The problem with American food is not that we lack healthy and nutritious options. The problem is that, in addition to those, we have lots and lots of unhealthy options, which in addition to obviously unhealthy sugary snacks, includes lots of foods that are healthy in their natural form but are pumped full of processing agents and unnatural additives that changes their nutritional content, and never for the better. The processed versions are always much cheaper too.

I'm pretty sure processed food being cheaper than natural/healthy food is a myth. At least, that's what I've learned from my Nutrition class (which is incidentally where I am typing this comment!). Fast food companies just marketed it that way so people would buy their products, and then the media spread the myth and the public ate it all up. Unfortunately, it's so entrenched in US society today that it'll be hard to change these attitudes. Here's a source.

^Yeah, that's a good point. I was mostly talking about the prices themselves, but actually preparing healthy lunches/dinners requires time that a lot of people don't have, which I guess is also a sort of cost. Can't entirely blame people for choosing the quicker, easier path when they're already worked to the bone (I know I certainly do that sometimes).

AKA "name all Mediterranean countries and you get already 17 ans"

got all bar one

- Greece doh

I was trying all manner of options thinking I had already chosen Greece

Huh, it seems as though olive production is more or less a Mediterranean thing.

It's mass scale production, which reflects on quality (trees closer together, less care how they're picked etc)

Good quiz .......... guess who I missed ............... Italy!!!

The most notable Mediterranean country misssing is France.

jUsT tYpE iN mIdDlE eAsT oR mEdItErRaNeAn cOuNtRiEs