Taggiasca, an Olive Icon

Taggiasca olives are one of the most prized and oldest known olive cultivar. Strongly associated with the region of Liguria in Northern Italy, this olive variety was initially grown in the town of Taggia and then spread throughout the region to become a defining ingredient in Ligurian cuisine. Think Pesto genovese - it certainly would not be the same without the Taggiasca extra virgin olive oil.

Taggiasca olive groves line the small strip of land that connects Italy to France, from the Alps to the sea, an area with a unique microclimate. The seaside breezes, weak temperature fluctuations, sun exposure and calcium-rich soil are responsible for this olive’s unique flavor profile. 

Due to the very hilly and steep landscape of Liguria, it is impossible to access the groves with heavy machinery and olives have to be harvested by hand using a stick. In order to make this work easier, a tradition has long been to let the fruit ripen until it is ready to fall. The resulting olive oil had a famously mild ripe fruity profile. However, the new trend is to harvest earlier in October to obtain more fragrant olive oils with distinct aromatic notes of almond or sage (our producer Paolo Cassini is at the forefront of this trend).

Taggiasca olives are also celebrated as table olives. Due to the long-lasting solid consistency of the pulp, taggiasca olives are suitable for preservation in both oil or brine. The hard pulp also gives these table olives their characteristic bitter taste.