The newest addition on the list of EU protected Croatian products is olive oil from Šolta, added into the registry on 21 October, 2016.
Already on Croatia’s list of indigenous goods, protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications are prosciutto from Krk, extra virgin olive oil from Cres, mandarins from Neretva, sour cabbage / sauerkraut from Ogulin, kulen from Baranja, potatoes from Lika, prosciutto from Istria, prosciutto from Drniš, Dalmatian prosciutto, soparnik, zeljanik or uljenjak from Poljica, turkey from Zagora, and the recently added olive oil from Korčula and lamb from Pag. Lucky for us, we can now add another: olive oil from the island of Šolta.
Šolta is in the Official Journal of the European Union as of 21 October 2016, with “Šoltanska olive oil” being registered under protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications, reports Slobodna Dalmacija.
“Šoltanska olive oil” is oil produced from the fruits of indigenous varieties of Levantinka olives and forms. The Levantinka variety must be represented by at least 50% of shares, and the share of Levantinka and Oblica varieties together must make up at least 95% of the olive oil.
The quality of Šolta olive oil is derived from the following factors: climate, representation of indigenous varieties, knowledge and experience of manufacturers in the production methods, and the historical traditions of the olives. More specifically, Šolta olive oil is based on the assortment of Šolta olive groves. The variety of Levantinka olives parachute together to make up more than 95% of the assortment of Šolta olive groves, with Levantinka olives representing 50-60% on the island of Šolta – the most widespread. Šolta olive oil is characterized by a fruity aroma with a slight scent of banana, with low bitterness and pungency.
The area of production for Šolta olive oil covers the area of the island of Šolta along with the seven islands in front of Maslinica: Polebrnjak, Saskinja, Balkun, Kamik, Šarac, Grmej and Stipanska.
The Ministry of Agriculture on Friday reported that “Minister Tomislav Tolušić is proud of another Croatian product with a protected designation of origin at the EU level and welcomes all local indigenous products to launch the process of protection in order to add value to our products making them more competitive in the single market. Linking these products to tourism is following the steps to success.”
There are now currently two Dalmatian olive oils – Šoltanska and Korčula, and four olive oils total on the list – including olive oil from Krk and Cres olive oil.
