Olive oil appeared in Spain around the 1st millennium BC. Presumably, the Phoenicians introduced the ancestors of modern Spaniards to the olive tree.

After the Romans finally conquered the Iberian Peninsula in the 1st century BC, Spain became the main supplier of olive oil for the Roman Empire. The Spanish Olive oil was considered the best in the empire and was very expensive.

This tradition has survived to this day with the only difference that now it’s not Olive oil that is sent from Spain to Italy, but olives. These olives are delivered to large industrial oil mills where they turn to liquid fat. You can find this substance in bottles with label EVOO in every supermarket.

Now, like 2000 years ago, Spain produces around 50% of the olive oil in the world and is the world leader of olive oil production. About 800 million olive trees grow in the world, of which more than 300 million are in Spain. 

The most olive region in Spain is the province of Jaen in Andalusia. More than 70 million olive trees grow here. And 20% of the world's olive oil is produced from these olives. 

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