In summer, salads are drizzled with black or green olive oil, often without knowing where it comes from. In France, this production remains confidential, while the shelves are overflowing with cheaper Spanish bottles; the contrast is intriguing.
In Hérault, olive grower and miller Franck Barthélémy has chosen to do exactly the opposite of the industrial model. He summarizes his positioning in a simple formula, taken up by France 3: . To keep it going, he relies on an oil made from local black olives, sold in short circuits.
Black olive oil: a niche market facing Spain
French production only covers a tiny part of consumption, around 5% according to the report, far behind Spanish competition. The olive grower assumes a price up to twice as high as that of large retailers, around $20 per liter, or around $3 per kilo of raw olive, when the confectionery allows this value to be multiplied by five. , he notes.
This additional cost does not discourage all customers, especially in direct sales in the Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort store. A regular interviewed in the subject assures us: .
On the heights of Montaud, an olive grove centered on Négrette
For more than twenty years, Franck Barthélémy has cultivated 22 hectares of olive trees in Montaud, in the scrubland, with varieties such as Picholine, Verdale, Aglandau, Lucque and especially Négrette. Its trees allowed it to produce nearly 15,000 liters of French olive oil per year, converting around 70 tonnes of olives into oil and 20 tonnes into confectionery. , he emphasizes.
The Négrette sets the tone for the house vintage. , describes Franck Barthélémy. In Montoulieu, Bastien Gautier also works these fruits into table olives and tapenades: , he explains to France 3, before adding: .
From the mill to the chefs’ plates, a very delicious black olive oil
Négrette black olive oil is cold extracted in winter, then bottled throughout the year. It surprises with its color: explains Mathilde Lapin to France 3. Although it comes from black olives, the oil remains green and slightly cloudy when bottled.
Delivered in person, the producer greets the leader of a familiar. At the Auberge de la Valestalière, Romain Brunier chose these oils from the opening: , he tells France 3. On the menu, a bonito, a cousin of mackerel, , or a dessert where the old-fashioned fruity oil has, he says, .
What is specific about Négrette black olive oil?
Made from a black olive typical of Hérault and Gard, it gives a peppery oil, regular in production.
Why is black olive oil from small producers more expensive?
Volumes are low, costs are high and the bottle can be worth up to twice as much as in supermarkets.
How to use black olive oil in cooking?
It flavors salads, raw vegetables, fish such as bonito, tapenades, and even certain fruity desserts.
