From the hills around Salerno to the coast and the inland valleys, olive groves are a constant feature of the landscape. This is where Colline Salernitane DOP extra virgin olive oil comes from, an oil with a bold character that we have learned to love on a simple slice of bread. Here is what the designation involves and how to recognise it.
A DOP since 1997
The Colline Salernitane designation was registered by the European Union in 1997, under regulation (EC) No 1065/97. It is one of Campania's olive oil DOPs, alongside those of the Cilento, the Sorrento Peninsula, Irpinia and the Terre Aurunche.
The production area
According to the Campania Region, the area covers 86 municipalities in the province of Salerno, spread across very different landscapes: the Amalfi Coast, the Calore Valley, the Picentini Mountains, the Alburni, the Upper and Middle Sele, the hills of the Tanagro and part of the Vallo di Diano. Hilly ground, often clay and limestone, gives the oil a marked personality.
The olives and the rules
The product specification requires at least 65% of the oil to come from the Rotondella, Frantoio, Carpellese or Nostrale varieties, alone or combined. Other varieties such as Ogliarola and Leccino may also be used, together with other local cultivars within set limits.
A few rules show the care required:
- the harvest must be completed by 31 December each year;
- the olives must be carried in ventilated containers and milled within two days of picking;
- extraction uses only mechanical and physical processes;
- acidity may not exceed 0.70%.
Colour, aroma and flavour
In appearance the oil ranges from green to straw yellow. On the nose it has a clean olive fruitiness, with hints of green leaf, grass and unripe tomato. In the mouth it is bold and lingering, with pleasant bitterness and pungency and notes reminiscent of artichoke. We find it at its best when young, in the months after the harvest.
The Region recommends it with full-flavoured dishes: pulse soups, traditional Campanian pasta dishes and grilled fish. We also suggest trying it raw on bruschetta, to enjoy its full aroma.
Where to taste it and what is nearby
The area is large: you can look for it in olive mills and shops from the coast, between Amalfi and Ravello, to the hills of Eboli, the Picentini and the Alburni. To continue your journey, read Cilento DOP extra virgin olive oil, Typical dishes of Salerno and Carciofo di Paestum IGP, as well as our guide to Campania's DOP and IGP products.
Sources: Campania Region – Colline Salernitane DOP; Product specification (agraria.org).
Photo at top (Salerno): No machine-readable author provided. Giaros assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
