Olive oil roads

The olive oil roads of Istria will take you to some of the most outstanding olive oils in the world. Istria’s olive oils were highly valued even in the time of the Roman Empire. Marcus Valerius Martial, writer of epigrams who lived in the first century, paid tribute to Istria’s olive oils by exclaiming that his native Cordoba was “as perfect as the oil of Istria”.

Olive growing in Istria has flourished anew in the past decade, with many producers setting up tasting rooms to present their award-winning olive oils to visitors.

Most of these producers are small family farms, known for the warm hospitality they extend to each guest, and they are eager to tell the history and tradition of their calling, and the ideas and visions that led them to create superb oils.

To any food connoisseur or aspiring gourmet, this is an authentic experience not to be missed. With all the information and olive oil road maps available, getting to any of the sites along the roads – either by yourself or with a group – is easy. Once there you can be sure to find your hosts out in the olive groves or in cool cellars where extra virgin olive oils are kept.

They will invite you to sample these oils, as is common in the world of gourmets, with a piece of bread or one of their homemade delicacies, teaching you the secrets of the culinary use of olive oils.