🫒 Chetoui

Chetoui (Chétoui) is an oil olive cultivar from northern Tunisia, originally from Manouba. It is the country's second most important oil cultivar after Chemlali: according to the International Olive Council (IOC) catalogue, it accounts for about 12% of Tunisia's olive area and 30% of its trees (2017 data), while a 2012 IOC review put its share at almost 15% of orchards.

Chetoui grows on the coast, in valleys and in the uplands of the north. It is adapted to cold winters: in the centre and south of the country it bears poorly, and in the hot Saharan climate the quality of its oil declines. The tree is of low vigour, self-pollinating and roots well from cuttings. Its yield alternates strongly from year to year. The cultivar is extremely susceptible to verticillium wilt and moderately sensitive to salinity and drought.

The fruit contains 24–28% oil, and the oil has 63–70% oleic acid. It is intensely fruity, with notes of green almond and fresh greenery, bitter and pungent. It is prized for its phenolic compounds: in a 2023 study, extra virgin olive oil from 13 mills in the Béja region contained 907 to 1,299 mg of phenols per kilogram.

Together with Chemlali, Chetoui forms the backbone of Tunisian olive growing. The oil's properties depend noticeably on place: oil from different mills in the same region differed in both phenols and oleic acid, from 65.5 to 71.4%.

Why it matters to you. A pronounced bitterness and a peppery burn in the throat are not flaws in Chetoui oil: under the IOC method they are positive attributes of fresh oil, linked to phenolic compounds. If you prefer a milder taste, choose oil from other cultivars.