Giarraffa olive tree is an autochthonous variety, with presence confirmed before the ninth century, some sources date back to the second century BC In spite of its millenary culture, it is only spread in 1,500 hectares of the Sicilian olive grove, in the central and north-western part of Sicily. Its preferable use is for dressing in green or black, although its oil is also well valued.
Names or synonyms: The Giarraffa olive tree is also called: Giarraffella, Becco di Corvo, Giarrafara, Pizzu di Corvu, Cacata di Chioggia, Giardara, Cefalutana, Ciocca, Giarraffu Mammona, Raffa and Raffu.
Characteristics of the Giarraffa Olive Tree
The olive tree Giarraffa, has good characteristics for its use as a variety of table olives.
Productivity: the Giarraffa olive variety is entry into early production and low productivity.
Regularity of bearing: Giarraffa olive is vecera.
Flowering: The Giarraffa olive tree is of early flowering, although staggered and its pollen is partially self-compatible. It has a high percentage of ovarian abortion. They are used as pollinators, Ascolana Tenera, Nocellara Etnea, Tonda Iblea, Nocellara del Belize and Passalunara.
Vigor and bearing of the tree: The Giarraffa olive variety has medium vigor and erect bearing. The density of the cup is low-medium.
Leaf: Giarraffa olive tree has lanceolate leaves, long length and narrow width.
Diseases: the Giarraffa olive tree is sensitive to olive peacock spot, olive knot and drought.
Multiplication: The Giarraffa plant has a good rooting ability.
Giarraffa olive, morphological characteristics
The Giarraffa olive is excellent for dressing in both green and black. This allows obtaining good sales prices for the green olives.
Maturation: Giarraffa is an olive variety of early maturation.
Size: the olives produced by the Giarraffa olive tree are very large size (9 grams).
Shape: Giarraffa olive has an elliptical and slightly asymmetrical shape, with an absent nipple.
Skin color: Giarraffa olive, matures with skin vinous-black. It has large and large lenticels.
Pulp: the pulp is of very good quality, has a very high pulp / bone ratio (around 5.6). Easily detach the pulp from the bone and the variety is appreciated for dressing in green and black.
Yield: Giarraffa olive produces olives of medium (16-17%) yield.
Uses: Due to its large size and pulp of good characteristics, it is highly valued as a table olive. Currently, monovarietals with good reviews are being developed.
Advantages: very large size, good variety for table olives.
Disadvantages: olive variety vecera and low productivity.
Giarraffa Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The Extra Virgin Olive Oil Giarraffa, is an oil of low production, but highly valued.
The fruity level is intense-medium, with spicy and bitter notes of medium level. Among the aromas, tomato and green grass stand out
Properties: Giarraffa olive oil is made up of a high percentage of linoleic acid (10%), under oleic acid (70%) and has an average presence of polyphenols (330).
Price: its production is scarce and very limited, it is difficult to find bottles of this olive oil, within the purchase possibilities for olive oil Giarraffa monovarietal, prices are around € 40 / liter.
Recommended reading
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Anthracnose of the olive tree
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Characteristics of the olive oil of my town
Variety of Hojiblanca olive
Warning
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