Between the gentle Adriatic Sea, the sung Dalmatian coast and the rugged peaks of Velebit, from which the clean and fresh air of the famous Dalmatian bura flows, in the peaceful village of Nadin, which inherits a thousand-year tradition of olive growing from the time of ancient Liburnia, the Kota family planted an olive grove where, bathed in the sun, under the watchful eye and hands of hardworking producers, the olive fruits of autochthonous Croatian varieties, the highest form and swallowtail, grow and become extra-virgin olive oil from certified ecological cultivation.
Kota olive oil is a product of the family company Bovan d.o.o. which comes from an olive grove of 10 thousand trees. The olive grove was planted on land that until then had never been used for agricultural purposes, so such land had never been treated with chemical agents or fertilized with mineral fertilizers. Therefore, it was ideal for ecological production that prohibits the use of pesticides, herbicides and artificial fertilizers.
The establishment and cultivation of olive groves was done in cooperation with experts from the Faculty of Agriculture in Zagreb. That is why the application of agrotechnical measures corresponds to the highest standards of ecological production in the European Union. The harvesting and processing processes are led by food technologists. Laboratory analyzes of the fruit determine the time of optimal maturity of the fruit, and thus the dates of harvesting, which can be different depending on the variety. Harvesting is done by hand, and on the same day the olives are cold-pressed in a modern oil mill.
Organic production is the biggest guarantee of the healthiness of a food product in addition to socially responsible business, sustainable development, environmental protection and biological diversity. On the declaration, Kota olive oil bears the certificates and marks of the ecological product of the European Union and the Republic of Croatia, in addition to the marks of origin. Kota olive oils have achieved exceptional success in affirmation on the international scene through awards at the world's largest olive oil quality reviews and competitions, and are the only representative from Dalmatia included in the new edition of the Flos Olei world olive oil guide for 2023. In 2022, Kota's olive oils were also awarded numerous medals for quality, at the following inspections:
• Dubai International Olive Oil Competition 2022 – gold medal
• New York World Olive Oil Competition (NYIOOC) 2022 – gold medal
• Olive Japan 2022 (Tokyo) – gold medal
• EVO IOOC Italy 2022 – gold medal
• Berlin Global Olive Oil Awards 2022 – platinum award
• London International Olive Oil Competition (LIOOC) – platinum award
• Noćnjak 2022 – gold medal
Kota's product range consists of single-variety olive oils of the traditional Croatian varieties of lastovka, bjelica and oblica, as well as multi-variety olive oil obtained by combining these varieties. The variety of monovarietal oils is based on the expression of fruitiness, spiciness and bitterness. Kota - Lastovka olive oil is from an autochthonous olive variety that is characteristic of southern and central Dalmatia. Olive oil obtained from the Lastovka variety is characterized by fruitiness and a pronounced bitter taste. Bjelica olive oil is an autochthonous variety of olive that was found in the area of Istria and Kvarner, and today it is widespread throughout Croatia. Olive oil obtained from the Bjelica variety is characterized by pronounced spiciness and bitterness. Oblica is the most widespread variety on the Adriatic, originating from Dalmatia. Olive oil obtained from the Oblica variety has a very mild spiciness and bitterness with a pronounced sweet taste. Olive oil Kota - Blend is a multi-varietal oil obtained by mixing three autochthonous Croatian varieties: lastovka, bjelica and oblica in proportions that guarantee a combination of fruitiness, spiciness, sweetness and aroma.
Photos: Marko Čolić, Kota Archive