Savor the real liquid gold

Olive oil aromatizes the cuisine of Jaén and makes its dishes healthy. The culture, the landscape and, ultimately, the way of life of the people of Jaén are based on this juice. Beyond its geographical border, oil is one of the pillars of the Mediterranean Diet, declared Intangible Heritage of Humanity; and, nowadays, one of the most precious foods in the kitchen of the world. Let yourself be seduced by the most authentic flavor.

The province of Jaén contributes approximately 20% of the world's olive oil production and 50% of the Spanish. The more than 60 million olive trees are a sign of unequivocal identity, not only of the gastronomy of Jaén, but of the culture, the landscape and the way of life of its people. Olive oil is the cultural emblem of a population that works permanently to extol the exquisiteness, quality and healthy properties of this product. Olive oil is today synonymous with excellence and health. It is one of the fundamental foods of the Mediterranean diet and gives a touch of distinction to any dish in our kitchen.

The cuisine of Jaén has in the extra virgin olive oil of the Picual variety, the integrating element of a surprising and natural gastronomy that is manifested through the many dishes made with vegetables from its gardens; with game meats, which here are called “monte” and with fish from mountain rivers. Conventual stews and sweets of an almost mystical gastronomy; farinaceous stews in which their traditional recipes are nuanced with suggestive names: Andrajos, rags, calandrajos, guiñapos, galianos and talarines. Breakfast millers of bread loaded with extra virgin olive oil. And, above all, a sublime tapas, which has its highest expression in cities like Jaén and Linares, with the peculiarity that in all the land of Jaén the tapa is included in the price of the drink.

Flavor and landscape in an exuberant environment of flora, fauna and monumental heritage, are the main characteristics that define a gastronomy, sometimes magical, in which both popular cuisine and the most avant-garde trends have a perfect place.

Gastronomy

Garden products, cereals and extra virgin olive oil, lambs from the mountains, bush meat derived from hunting, and above all, the "know-how" passed down from generation to generation from ancient times, make Jaén's traditional cuisine a delight for the most exquisite palates. It could be said that the gastronomic culture of the Mediterranean has its three fundamental pillars in bread, wine and olive oil, although these three ingredients, which participate equally in the food and nutritional aspects, do not have the same presence in the gastronomic rite and liturgy. Bread, without a doubt, is what summons us to the table, protected by the mystical connotations that Mediterranean cultures have given it over the centuries. Wine is the entertainer, and it has been said that it is the "intellectual part of the food", but oil has a less visible, we could say more spiritual, but no less appreciable, role.

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Jaén Selection

The distinctive "Jaén Selección", created by the Diputación de Jaén, encompasses the best extra virgin olive oils from each harvest. This badge rewards the excellence of this product. In 2017, this quality label was awarded to eight oils, all of the Picual variety.

The selection of these oils comes from a Tasting-Contest, which is convened annually, under the criteria of a jury made up of professionals from the best tasting panels in the country. Each year the best oils from Jaén, the main olive oil producer in the world, are signified with this distinctive. After their selection, these oils are present in all the tourism and agri-food promotion actions promoted by the Diputación de Jaén and play a leading role in the OleotourJaén tourism strategy.