Aceite del Bajo Aragon

Denomination of Origin Extra Virgin Olive Oil of Bajo Aragón
Extra Virgin Olive Oil of Bajo Aragón
The designation of origin Aceite del Bajo Aragón is located in the northeast of turolense and south-east of the province of Zaragoza, a geographical area that happens to be one of the most important olive oil producing areas in the northern part of Spain. It occupies a cultivated area of 37,000 hectares, with an average density of 70 olive trees / ha, and is composed of 77 municipalities.

The relationship of municipalities covered by the D. O. Olive oil from Lower Aragón are: Aguaviva, Alacón, Albalate, Alborge, Alcañiz, Alcorisa, Alloza, Almochuel, Almonacid de la Cuba, Andorra, Arens de Lledó, Ariño, Azaila, Beceite, Belchite, Belmonte de San José, Berge, Beading, Calaceite, Calanda, Cañizar del Olivar, Caspe, Castellote, Castelnou, Castelserás, Chiprana, Five Olives, Crete, Crivillén, Escatrón, Estercuel, Fabara, Fayón, Fórnoles, Foz- Calanda, Fuentes de Ebro, Fuentespalda, Gargallo, Hijar, Jatiel, La Cerollera, The Codoñera, La Fresneda, La Gata, La Ginebrosa, La Mata de los Olmos, La Portellada, La Puebla de Hijar, La Zaida, Parras de Castellote, Letux, Lledó, The Elms, Maella, Mas de las Matas, Mazaleón, Mequinenza, Mills, Monroyo, Nonaspe, Oliete, Peñarroya de Tastavins, Quinto de Ebro, Ráfales, Samper de Calanda, Sástago Breast, Torre de Arcas, Torre del Compte, Torrecilla de Alcañiz, Torrevelilla, Urrea of Gaén, Valdealgorfa, Valderrobres, Valdetormo, Valjunquera and Vinaceite.

details of the designation of Origin Bajo Aragón oil

CRDO Aceite del Bajo Aragón was established in October 2001.
34 companies registered with the Regulatory Council for Bajo Aragón oil.
a total of 34 companies are currently registered. 60% of these are cooperatives and 40% private mills.
the cultivation of this product extends over a very wide area of 37,000 hectares, belonging to 77 municipalities of turoland and Zaragoza
the olive varieties with which the oil under this name is produced are Empeltre, Arbequina and Royal of the species Olea Europea L.
8,000 families live on oil.
the designation of Origin includes the Bajo Aragón turolense, zaragozano and campo de Belchite.

historical link of low Aragon oil
the history of the olive tree in the lower Aragon is very similar to that described for the entire Mediterranean area, given its proximity and its peculiar climate similar to the Levantine. Possibly its introducers were the Phoenicians or the Greeks, what is known is that the cultivation did not reach much importance until the arrival of Scipio, as is deduced from The Book of Avianus Ora Marítima, in which the Ebro is called “oleum flumen”, that is, the river of oil.

The olive groves of the area of Alcañiz (Bajo Aragón) are shown in its magnificent trees of ancient life. Of the oldest in Spain, introduced already in the region by the Roman domination, was a success for the definitive implantation of this tree the stimulus with which the rulers of Aragon rewarded their cultivation with Real de Vellón that each town hall was obliged to pay for “planzón” a year of the plant, once taken. In this way, they gradually covered themselves with leafy olive groves of serranias and plains in the area that the soil and the atmospheric agents themselves limited, due to the demands of the tree and the farmer's profit, those that produce today (in the mid-twentieth century), an average annual harvest of eight million kilograms. Arab Mills with animal traction were used at the time for the extraction of oil and beam presses moved by arm to dispatch the harvest, until by 1866 the French brought new manufacturing techniques and the oils ceased to be murky and acidic.

The cultivation of the oil was introduced by roses, Ampurias and Tarragona (Beltrán Lloris, 1980) and it was perhaps in the first half of the 16th century when the Olive Tree reached its maximum development possibilities, it is possible that its extension exceeded the current limits, as we can infer from the observation of olive remains of the area. Reduction due to the felling of the war of Independence, frost in 1936-37, the subsequent of 1956 and grubbing of the olive tree to introduce mechanization of the dry lands. From those years the olive tree entered a depressive phase preferring other crops.

Isolated for lack of Communications this region, ignored by those from outside, was appreciated when the business was industrialised by The Plaza de Tortosa, in which important signatures were located, and there were flowing in real caravans of our oils, so it will always owe to this square the birth of its wealth. Subsequently, several commercial firms from Marseilles, nice, Genoa, etc. were installed with warehouses in the plaza de Alcañiz, in the early 20th century, to acquire directly our qualities, excellent without dispute, and already broken the veil, all the commercial firms of Catalonia and Levante dispute and acquire them.

And today, (mid-century) the provenance of Alcañiz, due to the official regulations, with the highest price, is outstanding as unique; its unparalleled quality is already known worldwide, going out to the foreign market, with its original name, or prestige with its coupages many of the most abolished and famous trademarks.

Its oils are also used in the most prestigious brands of fish preserves, and a good part is absorbed by the large hotel industry, in addition to meeting the needs of domestic consumption, which demands high quality.

There is no old house where the remains of the primitive trujales do not remain, where the Olive was stored, well danced, to clear the moisture (vegetation water) and air, and to favor its conservation, because with the primitive means of extraction it was normal to join the stored harvest to the new harvest.

(XIII International Congress of Oleicultura, area of Alcañiz (Aragon), 1950, and Virgin Olive Oil, Juan José Murillo Ramos, 1993).

Olive oil is one of the most characteristic products of lower Aragon. The growing of olive trees covered seasonal unemployment, through the dedication to the collection of agricultural labour which, during the winter months, had little employment before in the exploitation of the recent boom in intensive fruit growing.

The climatic conditions on the one hand and the characteristics of the empeltre variety, almost exclusively cultivated in the area, produce a high quality oil.

The cultivation of olive trees in the province of Teruel is limited for ecological reasons (limited by climate) to the vast natural region of Bajo Aragón. The traditional olive tree has for centuries been the figure of the olive tree along the fields and hills of the lower Earth, having played an important role over the years in the development of its economy and decisively influencing the life and customs of its people.

( days on Olive Tree, quality and marketing of oil. 19 and 20 October 1983)

The olive tree is the large flower of the Bajoaragonese vales and their sasos. It is the expression of man's work and knowledge where water is scarce and the Earth is not always a good companion. The people of lower Aragon know that it is the tree of wisdom, the tree of history, the tree of the Mediterranean. From him they have learned tradition and technique, constancy and transport. That's why he's always been snuggled up in his head.
empeltre variety
The bajoaragon olive tree has a family name: Empeltre. It is the Variety that is grown there.

The best olive trees in Spain are on limestone, fresh and deep. The lands of this area of Bajo Aragón are included in the group of dry limestone on the Huguet del Villar soil map and belong to the Mancha del terciario on the Right Bank of the Ebro, on the map of the Geological Institute of Spain.