PICUDA

Origin and cultivation area.
This variety can be found in abundance throughout the whole area of Andalusia. It occurs in the provinces of Cordova, Granada, Málaga and Jaén. It is most abundant in the Label of Origin area of Baena, to the southwest of Cordova..

The plant.
The tree is very energetic, grows outwards and has a very thick top. Its fruit-bearing branches are grayish green. It has a great capacity for spreading its roots and easily adapts to limy soils. It tolerates excessively wet conditions better than drought. It is considered a rustic tree and is very resistant to cold.

The leaf.
It is large, wide and long in shape. Its surface is a dark green color. The tree can be differentiated from others from a long way away as it is the darkest among all olive trees.

The fruit or drupe.
DFor those in the business of oil making, this fruit is recognized for being the second largest in size, reaching an average weight of 4.8 grams. It goes black when ripe and in Luque (a town to the southwest of Cordova) it receives a strange name: they call it pajarero, or "bird snare". As the story goes, this is so because its oil is so sweet that as soon as the fruits are ripe the birds eat them. It has an average to high percentage (80%) of pulp. Ripening occurs between the fourth week of November until the end of December and its fat yield is high, with figures approaching 20%. Its name is derived from the shape of the fruit, which has a pointed, curved tip and a pronounced stalk. .

The oil.
Its organoleptic characteristics are very good. Both its balance and sweetness are unsurpassable. It prevents the formation of strong flavors and is very fluid and light. It even sometimes slightly reminds us of exotic fruits, apple and almonds. Its fatty acid composition is quite similar to that of the lechín variety, thus placing itself in the range of oils susceptible to oxidation.