Photo By Courtney Pollock | ZAHARA DE LA SIERRA, Spain (November 5, 2022) The view of the main building of Oleum...... read more read more
When you first meet Luis Lucero, you quickly notice his enthusiasm and passion. It is impossible to not be drawn into his animated talk about olives, olive oil production, and terrain surrounding his almazara, or location for making olive oil, near Zahara de la Sierra, Spain.
This enthusiasm extends beyond the process of making olive oil, though. The earth provides the crop, and Lucero does his best to ensure his almazara respects the full cycle of nature – the natural circle of life so to speak – of olive oil. He takes great pride that at every step of the process – the byproducts – are used for another purpose whether it’s discarded leaves for goats, ground olive pits for fires, or the excess water that is pumped to irrigate the trees. All these steps produce according to Lucero, “no waste.”
Furthermore, the almazara’s very existence protects its natural surroundings. Gesturing to the mountains and greenery surrounding his olive farm, Lucero explains how the olive trees act as a barrier, protecting both the natural park’s unique biosphere while also providing protection to the many animals in the area so they do not wander into “civilization” too quickly.
Lucero’s knowledge of the unique features of the parque naturale de Grazalema is understandable considering he moved to Zahara de la Sierra 30 years ago as forest engineer for the park. He met his wife, a local from the town, and ended up staying. Together, they opened the almazara in 2003.
They own two separate locations; the one where the mill is located just outside Zahara de la Sierra and another in the mountains. These two farms produce many of the olives that Lucero uses for his oil, primarily the company Oleum Viride. The name meaning “green truth” comes from an old book written by a gaditano, or person from Cádiz.
The remaining olives comes to Lucero through machila, a concept which was originally used for wheat where farmers would bring wheat to the mill and then pay the mill owner with a percentage of the flour. Lucero operates similarly, with farmers and locals harvesting their olives and bringing them to Lucero’s mill to press. In payment, Lucero receives a percentage of the oil for his own use. This oil is mixed and prepared to be sold under his label.
This agreement allows Lucero to produce more olive oil than what he could produce using only olives from his land. For every 100 kilograms of olives brought into the press, Lucero will get approximately 18-20 kilograms of olive oil. While the output is minimal compared to input, Lucero enjoys his labor of love.
“We can’t compete by volume and price [of large commercial producers],” said. “Our strength is quality.”
Quality is one aspect that Lucero and his oils have been able to consistently meet since he opened the mill. Oleum Viride was the first olive oil in Andalucia to be certified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2004, and he continuously looks for ways to improve and develop new flavors and products.
But life on a growing olive farm is a slow one. Olive oil production requires patience and time; one that Lucero does not rush. His dedication to each step is evident as he guides us through the process during a tour of his mill.
Upon arrival to the mill, the olives are separated from the stems and leaves. The olives are then washed, weighed, and sorted depending on the type of olive. The primary olive used for the oil is manzanilla, which is typical to the area, as well as arbequina and lechín varieties.
The sorted olives are sent to the mill where they are crushed into a mush, pit and all. From there, the mush is spun several times to separate the oil from the crushed pits and particles. This is done at a low temperature because cooler temperatures equate to a higher quality extra virgin olive oil.
Once the olive oil has been filtered, Lucero completes a taste test to determine which tank to add the newly produced oil to maintain a consistent flavor. This quality control ensures that each tank maintains the right taste profile.
Once the tour of the production and factory areas is complete, the group sits down on the covered patio with stunning views towards the pueblo blanco of Zahara de la Sierra with the castle ruins perched above it. Lucero, or tour guide Fran Sarmiento, begins to lead the group through a tasting of his oils. He explains that for professional taste testers, they use blue glasses to hide the oil. Contrary to popular belief, color and cloudiness have no indication of the quality. He explained how to let the oil rest on one's tongue inhaling the scent, tasting the unique flavors, and its complexity.
The tasting then goes through a progression of oils: from the utilitarian Oleum Viride to his specialty flavored oils such as tomato, orange, and even seaweed. Mare, his seaweed-infused olive oil, is an excellent oil for fish or Asian-inspired salads and is particularly special to Lucero. Being from the city of Cádiz, he grew up with the sea nearby. By blending the sea – or seaweed in this case – with his olive oil, he has essentially bottled his life experience.
After the tasting, a filling lunch is served with his oils as the star ingredient as well as many local products. As if to emphasize his point, he waves over to a tree on the edge of the building. The tree’s branches are sagging under the weight of numerous quince fruits, and Lucero explains that the membrillo we are enjoying on cheese is handmade by his wife from the fruit of that tree.
Whereas Lucero’s oils travel the world, this moment is more representative of the daily life at Lucero’s almazara: Everything is close to the source. Everything is used and returned to the earth. Slowly growing. Hard, patient work.
And similar to the production of his olive oil, Lucero’s life has gone full circle. From his work background in preserving natural lands as a forest engineer to ultimately, carefully cultivating the land to produce olive oil (and wine) that highlights his hometown to the world. All while taking care to return each byproduct back to the land, and thus starting the cycle over again.
| Date Taken: | 11.17.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 11.18.2022 04:26 |
| Story ID: | 433500 |
| Location: | ES |
| Web Views: | 258 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Full Circle: Olive Oil Production in Zahara de la Sierra, by Courtney Pollock, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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