Maltese Bidnija olive oil

In late September one of the Mediterranean olive oil academy team went to Malta from Sicily to help with the olive harvest at a small olive grove in the Madliena area of the Island. This is the first year that Olivaverde has been involved with the Mediterranean olive oil academy and the olive farmers in Madliena to harvest this new project to produce extra virgin olive oil made solely from the indigenous Maltese Bidni olive variety. The olive grower and farmer in Madleina already produces Ta Matti a really lovely blended extra virgin olive oil made from a mix of Italian and Maltese varieties of olives

The Bidni cultivar is one the few local varieties on Malta and gets its name from the rural village and surrounding area of Bidnija, in the north. The olive tree is very hardy and imposing, its leaves are short and bright green; the olive is very small and elliptical, a rich flavourful oil, low in acidity,not bitter and appreciated for its very high quality, also this fine olive oil is rich in polyphenols.

The Bidni olives were picked and then sent to Sicily where they were pressed, this will be the first and only year that a non Maltese press will be used, but it was thought it best to have the olives processed by a specialist mill. The resulting olive oil was sent to a tasting a certification panel in northern Italy where they judged the oil to be of extra virgin quality and of very high quality. In fact the panel thought the Bidni olive oil was outstanding in taste and quality which was a excellent result for this new olive oil has been produced from Bidni olives grown in Malta.

The team at the Mediterranean olive oil academy are very pleased by the result and the extra virgin Bidni olive oil will now be marketed at olive oil fairs and festivals and also sold in both Malta and in London in the UK.