Italians recognise extra virgin olive oil as a cultural and identity-rich excellence, but knowledge of olive cultivars is still limited. This makes educational olive oil tourism a very concrete opportunity.
The products Italians see as most representative of Italy
For Italians, wine is the product that best represents the country, followed by extra virgin olive oil (24% of preferences), pizza (22%), pasta (15%) and cheese (11%). These are the food and wine icons of the national collective imagination.
This symbolic richness is accompanied by a widespread perception of a unique, genuine and high-quality heritage that extends across the whole country. It is therefore worth enhancing these excellences in synergy, creating multisensory experiences rather than isolated product narratives.
Knowledge of olive cultivars remains partial
The level of knowledge of olive cultivars among Italians paints a mixed picture. On the one hand, 47% of respondents can name at least one variety, with knowledge increasing with age. On the other hand, 33% state that they do not know any cultivar at all, while a further 20% are unable to name one when asked.
This suggests only partial awareness of Italy’s vast olive heritage, which includes around 500 cultivars. It reinforces the need to bring a wider audience closer to olive oil culture through experiences with an educational component.
Looking not just at whether people know a cultivar but at which names they mention, there are also signs that declared knowledge is sometimes superficial. Around 8% of respondents cite commercial brands rather than cultivars, showing confusion between a variety and a finished branded product. This again underlines the need to strengthen consumer and visitor awareness.
Among correctly identified cultivars, Leccino is the best known (13%), thanks to its wide distribution across the national territory. It is followed by Taggiasca (11%), typical of western Liguria and the Imperia area, and Frantoio (8%), which is present in different regions. More territorially specific cultivars such as Coratina (6%), Nocellara del Belice (3%) and Moraiolo (3%) are far less familiar to the broader public.
Strong interest in learning more about EVO oil
Seven Italians out of ten consider extra virgin olive oil to be an excellence that represents the landscape and the cultural heritage of Italy and the Mediterranean. This confirms a broad recognition of EVO oil as something that goes well beyond its role as a food product and enters the realm of material and intangible heritage.
In line with this view, 61% believe olive growing can contribute to sustainable tourism in their own territory. Yet familiarity with local production remains a weak point: only 43% say they know the olive-growing activity of their area and have visited olive groves or mills.
Generational differences are present but not radical. Younger respondents aged 18 to 24 show weaker awareness of the cultural role of EVO oil and less familiarity with local production, while those aged 25 to 34 show stronger direct experience: 50% say they know local olive oil production and have already visited groves or mills, above the national average.
The results also show strong interest in deeper knowledge. Sixty-five per cent want more information about the health benefits associated with daily EVO oil consumption. Sixty per cent want to understand cultivars better, including their qualitative differences and territorial specificities. The same share would like to discover the cultural, historical and landscape value of the olive tree in their own territory, while 56% are interested in the main organoleptic characteristics and analysis parameters of EVO oil.
Even among younger generations there is non-negligible interest in cultivars and cultural aspects, while over-65s are especially sensitive to health-related themes. Overall, EVO oil is perceived as a product that stimulates curiosity not only for food use, but also for biodiversity, cultural identity and sensory knowledge.
This widespread interest creates fertile ground for educational pathways, cultural communication activities and olive oil tourism proposals focused on knowledge and interpretation.
Text adapted from the “Second Olive Oil Tourism Report”.
