🫒 Picholine
Also known as: Picholine du Languedoc, Olive de Nîmes
A French cultivar from Languedoc with elongated fruit for green table olives; in Corsica it has also been used for oil since 1960.
Picholine du Languedoc is France's main olive cultivar, known above all for green table olives with elongated fruit. It is the olive of Nîmes and the Gard department, and it also yields oil of the highest quality. Its synonyms in the International Olive Council (IOC) catalogue include Olive de Nîmes, Collias, Coiasse and Coyas.
According to a 2012 IOC review, Languedoc-Roussillon has 19% of France's olive area. Picholine is the olive of Nîmes and the Gard department; it later spread to Hérault, Aude and Pyrénées-Orientales. It is also grown in Ardèche, and in Corsica most new orchards planted since 1960 have been Picholine, which is used there for oil.
The tree is hardy and adapts to different conditions, but needs good care. It starts bearing early and, with irrigation, gives high and steady yields. The fruit is of medium weight, very elongated and asymmetric, and purple when fully ripe; the stone separates easily. The cultivar resists olive leaf spot and is moderately tolerant of verticillium wilt, cold and drought.
In Languedoc Picholine is harvested in October, for green olives and for oil. Its oil is of the highest quality, but it is hard to extract and the yield is average. Picholine and the black Tanche are France's two main table cultivars. The EU has registered the names Olive de Nîmes for table olives and Huile d'olive de Nîmes for oil.
Why it matters to you. Two different olives are sold as “Picholine”, so check the origin: in the IOC catalogue the Moroccan and the Languedoc cultivars have different genetic profiles. The Moroccan one covers about 80% of Morocco's orchards and is used for both oil and olives, while the Languedoc one goes mainly into green table olives.
Facts
| Country | France |
|---|---|
| Region | Languedoc (Gard, Hérault, Aude, Pyrénées-Orientales), Ardèche, Corsica |
| Main use | Green table olives and oil |
| Fruit size | Medium weight, very elongated, asymmetric |
| Yield | High and steady under irrigation |
| Hardiness | Resistant to olive leaf spot; moderately tolerant of verticillium wilt, cold and drought |
How it connects to Olives
🫒 Picholine → used for → 🫒 Olive oil → made from → 🫒 Olives
Links
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 French
- Part of
- 🫒 Olive cultivars
- Similar and different
- 🫒 Meski, 🫒 Moroccan Picholine
- Where it grows
- 📍 Languedoc-Roussillon
- Where it is the main cultivar
- 📜 Nîmes (olive oil), 📜 Provence (olive oil)
- Which olives are made
- 🫒 Table olives
- What is made from it
- 🫒 Olive oil
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that all Picholine olives are one and the same cultivar?
No. Picholine du Languedoc and Moroccan Picholine are separate cultivars in the IOC catalogue, with different genetic profiles; they only share a name.
Where in France does Picholine grow?
Mainly around Nîmes and in the Gard, and further in Hérault, Aude, Pyrénées-Orientales and Ardèche; in Corsica it dominates newer orchards.
When do growers pick Picholine in Languedoc?
In October, both for green table olives and for oil.
Why is Picholine oil considered hard to make?
The IOC review calls the oil of the highest quality, yet difficult to extract, with an average yield.
What do the EU names Olive de Nîmes and Huile d'olive de Nîmes cover?
The first protects table olives and also doubles as a synonym of the cultivar; the second protects the oil.
What to read next
- 📜 Nîmes (olive oil) — An EU protected designation of origin for green olive oil from the olive-growing area around Nîmes; the base is the Picholine cultivar, at least 70% of the trees, with grassy and artichoke aromas.
- 🫒 Meski — Tunisia's main table-olive cultivar, native to Manouba: about 60% of the area, mostly on irrigated land; it is not suitable for oil.
- 🧑🤝🧑 French — The French are the main population of France, known for the festive meal and baguette on UNESCO's list, for wine and for cheese.
- 🫒 Olive oil — Oil pressed from the fruit of the olive tree.
- 🫒 Moroccan Picholine — Morocco's main cultivar, used both for oil and for green and black table olives.
Similar
🫒 Haouzia · 🫒 Barnea · 🫒 Crnica · 🫒 Manzanilla Cacereña · 🫒 Carolea · 🫒 Rowghani
Sources
- International Olive Council, World Catalogue of Olive Varieties: Picholine du Languedoc
- International Olive Council: Policies — France (2012)
- International Olive Council, World Catalogue of Olive Varieties: Picholine Marocaine
- European Commission — eAmbrosia, EU geographical indications register (Olive de Nîmes PDO-FR-0568; Huile d'olive de Nîmes PDO-FR-0441)