HISTORY

In the 1960’s the olive trees were planted on our farm, trees that we are still taking care of today.  Dr. Mariano Jiménez (he was the local veterinarian) and his wife, Ms. Mercedes Romero, carried out many innovations regarding cultivation and irrigation techniques, as well as introduction of new varieties of seeds and livestock of all kinds. These innovations allowed them to obtain the best yields of the land, taking advantage of the quality of their land and access to abundant water through various wells.

In 2016 we started the conversion of the olive grove and part of the land to organic agriculture. The Jiménez Romero family, who still owns the farm, always had a dream, a passion ...... "the love of the land, the care of the environment and biodiversity to obtain the best organic food. "

CROPS

Wheat, corn and sunflower, rapeseed, cotton, peas, beans and chickpeas are some of the crops that we usually grow on our land. We also have an irrigated olive grove with including various varieties of olives. Some of our olives are used for oil production (especially Lechín and Verdial, typical of the area) and the other are used as table olives (Manzanilla and Gordal).

Lechín

The Lechín olive is characteristic of Seville, Cordoba, Cadiz, Malaga and Huelva. Its name comes from the whitish color of its flesh.

This olive tree is capable of withstanding the droughts and the frosts, but also adapts well to the poor limestone soils.

The lechín oil is full of vegetable flavors, with a medium bitterness & notes of green almonds.

Mono varietal lechín oil is not usually commercialized, but it is often found in blends of olive oil with hojiblanco and picual olives.

Verdial

Verdial olives give a fruity -flavored oil with a pleasant sweetness and no bitterness. Rich in linoleic acids, the verdial is usually combined with other varieties such as hojiblanca, resulting in perfect organleptic qualities and medium stability.

Arbequina

It is among the best-known Spanish varieties. They are small olives, but very appreciated for their early entry into production, high productivity and good fat yield among the varieties with the highest percentage of oil extraction).

The arbequina oil has a fresh fruity smell with aromas of almonds and other fruits. With very little bitterness this is a very sweet oil that sometimes even present a touch of exotic flavor.

Picual

It represents 20% of the world's olive grove and in Spain it reaches 50%. Its geographical spread is linked to Andalusia, the main producing region of the world.

Picual olive trees have a high productivity, with a high fat yield (can reach up to 27%), a high stability index and a high content of oleic acid.

The picual oil is a large body oil with regular bitterness and a certain woody flavor. The mountain oils  are usually milder with a fresh & pleasant flavor.

CHICKPEAS FROM ESCACENA

If we have to highlight a crop among all the ones we grow, it would undoubtedly be our milky white chickpea.

As a result of the research agreement between the "Campo de Tejada" Cooperative and the University of Córdoba, the chickpea variety known as "Ituci" was obtained in 2016 (Ituci was the Roman name of the settlement that existed in the current village). The ituci chickpea is currently largely used by farmers in the area, due to its high resistance to parasites and diseases that can attack the chickpea.

This legume is characterized by its large size but also its distinctive yellowish color & deep grooves.

PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL DESIGNATION (PGI)

The product that benefits from the Protected Geographical Indication under the name of "Chickpea from Escacena" is the fruit of the plant species Cicer arietinum L. of the local ecotype of the Campo de Tejada and of the varieties registered under the commercial name “Milky White”.

The Control Council controls the whole process, from the land where the chickpeas are cultivated, the harvest & the packing.

It’s only once the chickpeas have passed all the controls done throughout their production cycle, that they can be packed under the name and logo of "Garbanzo de Escacena" (Chickpeas from Escacena).

To know more: www.igpgarbanzodeescacena.com