The monocultivar from Salento: the Cellina di Nardò extra virgin olive oil
Produced from the Cellina di Nardò olive variety, Cellina di Nardò extra virgin olive oil boasts unmistakable organoleptic profiles of absolute excellence. The Cellina plant has an upright growth habit, with a dense crown characterized by high vigor and consistent, elevated productivity. It is found in the olive groves of the Puglia region, particularly in Salento, within the provinces of Lecce and Taranto, as well as in the central-southern areas of Brindisi.
The Cellina olive has the following characteristics:
– color: from green to black, with a waxy epicarp that presents many small lenticels;
– shape: elliptical, slightly asymmetrical, with the maximum diameter at the center, rounded apex, and rounded base;
– size: small, with an average weight of 1.5-2 g:

The oil yield is low (15-17%), producing a fruity olive oil with notes of fruit and vegetables, a harmonious flavor with hints of almond, tomato, herbs, and berries, with an intense and persistent spiciness paired with a pleasantly bitter aftertaste. It is also present in the Collina di Brindisi DOP Extra Virgin Olive Oil and the Terra d’Otranto DOP Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Below are the synonyms for the native Cellina di Nardò olive: (Asciulo, Cafaredda, Cafarella, Cascia, Cascioulo, Cellina inchiastra, Cellina femmina, Cellina leccese, Cellina legittima, Cellina mascolina, Cellina salentina, Cellina tarantina, Cellina termetara, Gasciola, Leccese, Morella, Muredda, Olive from Lecce, Olive from Nardò, Saracena, Saracina, Scurranese, Vosciola).
The Cellina fruit is used not only for producing an excellent Monovarietale Olive Oil and in Multivarietale with the noteworthy Ogliarola Salentina variety, but also for producing Natural Brined Olives and Olive Pâté or Bruschetta. The latter production is widely used in Salento for making pucce, olive pizzi, and Salentine pizzas and focaccias with black olives.
Description: Cellina di Nardò extra virgin olive oil is categorized as fruity, unfiltered, obtained from olives at the right maturity level, with a golden yellow color and greenish reflections. It has fruity notes with distinct characteristics of wild red berries and field herbs, with perceptible bitterness and an evident yet balanced spiciness. It is a high-quality extra virgin oil obtained from Secular Olive Groves of the Cellina salentina variety, also known as Cellina di Nardò. The olives of this variety have a magnificently violet-tinted flesh, and their extraction is extremely challenging due to the high resistance to oil separation, resulting in a very limited oil yield. Nonetheless, its unique and inimitable fruity sensory characteristics make it an oil of the highest quality and great excellence.
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