The Leccino olive is one of the primary
olive
The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...
cultivars
A cultivar is a type of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and when Plant propagation, propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and st ...
used in the production of Italian
olive oil
Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: f ...
. Across Italy, it is one of the primary olive cultivars found in olive groves. It is believed to have originated in
Tuscany
Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze'').
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...
, and it is now grown all over the world. Due to its delicate flavor, the olive oil it produces is commonly blended with
Frantoio
Frantoio and Leccino cultivars are the principal raw material for Italian olive oils from Tuscany. Frantoio is fruity, with a stronger aftertaste than Leccino.
About the tree
The Frantoio tree grows well in milder climates, but is not as tol ...
,
Coratina
There are hundreds of cultivars of the olive (''Olea europaea''). As one of the oldest and more important domesticated crops raised by humans, the olive tree has diverged naturally and with the assistance of man into many varieties. Olive cultivars ...
,
Moraiolo and
Pendolino
Pendolino (from Italian ''pendolo'' "pendulum", and ''-ino,'' a diminutive suffix) is an Italian family of tilting trains used in Italy, Spain, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, Russia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the UK, the US, ...
in order to create more flavor.
About the tree
The Leccino tree grows well in cooler climates,
but is not as tolerant to heat as Spanish olive cultivars. The tree grows quickly and has a dense canopy. It tends to be highly productive in the right conditions and has a tendency to grow more like a tree than a bush, which is different from most olive trees. Average oil yield is 18-21% of the fruit. It is not self-pollinating and requires the presence of another cultivar, commonly Pendolino, in order to fruit.
Synonyms
Allorino (Leccino Pendulo), Allorino (Leccino Piangente), Grappuda, Prevoce Leccino, Colombina, Leccino LD (Leccino compact), Leccino LD (Leccino dwarf), Leccino 04, Leccino 13, Canneto Leccino (Leccino CLONE ISTEA 30), Leccino Collececco 22, Leccino di Belmonte, Leccino Ecotipo 2, Leccino Moricone, Leccino Pesciatino, Leccio, Lechino, Lucca, Toscano, and Verolana.
History
While it is unclear when the cultivar first appeared, written references can be found near the end of the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, and the Leccino is generally one of the older cultivars from Italy.
Leccino has made its appearance in other countries over the past 50 years with the growing popularity of olive oil. It is commonly grown in California,
Chile and Australia among other olive oil growing regions.
References
{{Olives
Olive cultivars