There is eternal dispute between Dalmatians and Istrians about whose olive oil is better. Let’s put that aside for now because Hvar’s olive oil is versatile, and our olive growers win prestigious competitions in Japan and New York every year. It’s quite understandable when we have one of the ten oldest olive trees in the world, which you can visit in the village of Zastražišće in the interior of the island. Although the average lifespan of an olive tree is 500 years, this miraculous, long-lived tree that grows in poor soil, almost without water but with plenty of sunlight, is more than 2500 years old.
Olive Oil From The Oldest Tree
2 minute read
On the island, there are several olive oil tasting rooms that I highly recommend you visit. As I’ve been told, they produce their oil at slightly lower temperatures, which yields less quantity but richer flavor. That’s true extra virgin olive oil.
Radojković Olive Mill is located in Bogomolje and offers exquisite oils infused with orange and lemon, which we had the pleasure of tasting with ice cream. Eva Marija SECA Olive Mill is located in Gdinj, and Božić Olive Mill is located in Svirče. All of them have beautifully designed tasting rooms and captivating stories about Hvar’s olive oil that they will be happy to share with you.
