Frequently Asked Questions about Croatia and Olives... 

1.   What is the current statistic on olive oil production in Croatia? 

There are presently 40,143 producers of olive oil in Croatia, each producer has an average of 80 olive trees and each tree yields about 1.5 L of olive oil per year. During this year's harvest, more than 30 million kilograms of olives were picked and more than 4 million L of olive oil were processed in 110 oil refineries across Croatia. However, only about one half of the total oil produced reached the market.

The average olive oil consumption per capita is 1 L.

 2.  What are the most common olive cultivars in Croatia? 

The most represented and widely planted olive cultivars in Croatia include Oblica (all along the coastal belt), Drobnica (middle Dalmatia and island Korčula), Levantinka (middle and south Dalmatian with the islands), Lastovka (mostly island Korčula) Crnica (Dubrovnik surroundings) and Istarska bjelica and Buža (Istria).

 3.  Are there any governmental incentives for the planting of olives in Croatia? 

There are 4.2 million olive trees growing in Croatia, or, about one tree per person. According the recent governmental incentives in Croatia, it is expected that 5500 hectars of new olive plantations will be raised by 2007. Presently, the government sponsors each olive cutting with 90 cents, while new olive plantations are supported with a 3,000 USD grant per hectar. Olive growers are also eligible for loans ranging from 12,000 – 245,000 USD with a 4% interest rate, grace period of 5 years and repayment period of 15 years.

The recent governmental incentives resulted in the revival of olive growing in Croatia and the planting of new 500.000 olives last year only. 

4.   What is the nutritional value of olive oil? 

Olive oil is marked by the high content of monounsaturated (77%) in comparison to saturated (14%) and polyunsaturated (9%) fatty acids. Olive oil has the highest percentage (of monounsaturated fat of any edible oil, which is a very important nutritional characteristics, since monounsaturated fats have been proven to reduce the levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase the levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.

In addition, olive oil is very rich in vitamin E (a potent antioxidant) and vitamin K (100 g of olive oil contains 75% RDA for vit. K).

While all types of olive oil are sources of monounsaturated fat, virgin olive oil also contains higher levels of antioxidants, because it is less processed.

One tablespoon of olive oil contains about 120 calories.

5.   What are the health benefits of olive oil consumption?

Olive oil has been linked to the following health benefits:

• Lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease
• Reduction in the level of LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol
• Lowering of blood pressure
• Decrease in blood sugar levels
• Increase in the absorption of certain vitamins including A, D, E, and K
• Facilitating cellular growth, wound healing and helping the metabolism

Due to high levels of polyphenolic antioxidants and vitamin E, olive oil has been attributed beneficial effects in preventing skin ageing/wrinkles and free radical-related diseases such as cancer.  In addition, recently studies point to the fact that the phenolic components present in olive oil might be involved in postponing the aging mechanisms.

Recent research results indicate that a daily dose of 50 g or 4 tablespoons of olive oil confers the equivalent of around 10% of the recommended ibuprofen dose for adult pain relief. So a Mediterranean-style diet might give you the supposed long-term benefits of that drug, such as a reduced cancer and Alzheimer's disease risk. To your health!

(Special thanks to Dr. Jasenka Piljac-Zegarac for the contents of this section!)