Tiny-fruited Koroneiki accounts for the majority of Greek olive oil and much of the world's celebrated high-phenolic oil. Despite the small drupe, the flavor is anything but small: intense fresh-cut grass and green herbs, green-banana and tomato-leaf notes, and a pronounced peppery pungency that can make you cough. Its high polyphenol content gives both that throat-catching kick and excellent stability, and it travels well — now planted across the Mediterranean, California and the southern hemisphere.
Intense and herbal: fresh grass, green herbs and a big peppery, cough-inducing finish.
Picked from late October through December; earlier for the highest-phenolic oils. Buy the freshest crop you can find — and check the harvest date on the bottle.