Hardly anything can be compared to this opaque, darkish fluid: it is absolutely unique. A hallmark of the Mediterranean, associated with the notion of healthiness, gastronomic delight and with a serene, untroubled old age in particular. It has been outpouring murky and imperious eversince, uncommonly bitter in taste, yet of an exceptional aroma, making it an admirable companion of many superb dishes. The most valued vegetable fat in a human diet. A body care product, a cure for diverse ailments, regarded by many as a panacea, the elixir vitae. A divine fruit. A flowing gold.

What is concealed beneath these supernatural praises? Olive tree! The edible oil! The oil of gods and mankind like Olive-Oil! Olive oil!

The oil of charitable deeds and anointment. A mythological and biblical plant, the symbol of our Mediterranean everyday life, a hallmark of Istria. A Christian rite and feast: olive branches before the forthcoming Easter Sunday. The olive branch, an emblem of peace.

As stated by the Greek mythology tales, the olive-tree has been created in the following way: in her contest with Poseidon, god of the sea, Athena cast a drop of water on the cliff and immediately an olive -trees grew there in.

Throughout the past centuries, Istria has been determined by the olive-tree.  We owe the first historic manuscripts related to our peninsula and dating back to ancient Greek and Romans to this very olive-tree and to olive-oil respectively. Believe it or not, olive-oil produced in Istria was considered then as the most exquisite oil of the Empire which all other existing sorts had been compared to.

Marcus Valerius Martialis (40–103 A.D.), the most renowned epigrammatist of ancient Rome a Spaniard by birth, left a pleiad of scripts exalting Istrian olive oil. Chanting praises to his native Cordoba, he exclaimed: „Uncto Corduba laetior Venafro, Histria nec minus absoluta testa!“
"Cordoba, thou are more fertile than the oil-rich Venafro, absolute like the olive-oil from Istria."

Apart from many written testimonies, there is plenty of material evidence: remains of diverse ancient oil manufactories along the entire western coast of Istria, particularly on the Brijuni archipelago, in the towns of Barbariga, Poreč and Červar Porat. Close to these, real industrial areas intended for the amphora manufacture had been set up. It is only natural that large olive groves were planted inside, namely the indigenous local sorts (Bjelica, Karbonera, Buža, etc.).

Finally, we would like to present the map of Istria showing all relevant extra virgin olive oil roads with the purpose of getting you acquainted with our oil plants & olive growers.