High-Polyphenol Olive Oil

Cultivar first: Koroneiki, Picual, Coratina and Moraiolo run high; Arbequina and Taggiasca run low by nature. Harvest timing second: green fruit picked before full veraison carries far more phenols than ripe black fruit, at the cost of yield.

Then processing — short malaxation at low temperature — and finally storage. Phenols degrade in heat, light and oxygen, so a high figure at bottling is only meaningful alongside a recent harvest date.

Expect assertive bitterness and a pungency that can make new tasters cough. Use it raw where it has something to push against: bean soups, grilled bread, bitter greens, tomatoes, grilled meat and firm cheeses.

The EU permits a health claim for olive oil polyphenols relating to protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress at defined intake levels. We do not make medical claims for any product we sell, and nothing here treats, prevents or cures disease.