Spanish olive oil, its cultivation and its processing, which started during the Phoenician era, is an integral part of the history of Spain. It is widely believed that more than 3,000 years ago, after initially spreading olive tree cultivation through the Greek Islands, the Phoenicians then brought them to the coasts of Spain.

With over 750 million olive trees being cultivated worldwide each year, Spain currently accounts for more than 30% of world production of olive oil. Not all varieties of olive oil are the same; they have very complex sensory, aromatic and tasting attributes. From Catalonia in the North of the country to Andalucía in the South of Spain, the Spanish olive oil orchards vary greatly in design, and indeed resultant oil flavour and colour, depending on the variety of olive that has adapted best to the differing land conditions and climate. Colours of olive oil can range from a very light yellow to dark green.

The traditional way of producing olive oil is by grinding the olives. First they are ground into an olive paste using large millstones. The olive paste will normally stay under the stones for up to 40 minutes. Following this, the olive paste is spread on to fibre disks, which are stacked on top of each other, then placed into the press. Pressure is then applied to the disks to extract the oil from the paste.

The method of production of the olive oil is reflected in the quality, taste and price. The best quality oils, and indeed those deemed to have the best flavour, are extra virgin oil and virgin oil as these are obtained by the cold pressing of olives harvested directly from the tree; they have had no chemical treatment and contain no additives or preservatives. The main difference between extra virgin oil and virgin oil is the degree of acidity. The superior extra virgin oil contains no more than 0.8% acidity, which is largely achieved by it being the first pressing of the olives. The slighter less superior virgin oil will have an acidity level of between 1% and 2%. Both of these contain no refined oil in their composition. The same cannot be said of olive oil labelled as ‘pure olive oil’ as this is usually a blend of extra virgin or virgin oil combined with refined oil.

Olive oil is considered to be a healthy oil because of its high content of monounsaturated fat (mainly oleic acid) and polyphenols, and many health benefits have been attributed to its use, e.g. lowering cholesterol levels and even helping to reduce the incidence of heart attacks. As olive oil consumption is a fundamental part of Mediterranean and Spanish diets, it has often been quoted as one of the main reasons for the Spanish population being rated as one of the world's healthiest race of people.