Ember & Grain · Field Notes · Wood · Nº 16
Olive Wood
the sea of olives
Jaén, Andalusia. Sixty-six million trees, two Renaissance towns, and the hottest fire in the grove.
From the walls of Baeza the view runs to the mountains, and every hill between is planted in rows of olives. The province of Jaén has some sixty-six million olive trees, more than Spain has people. It makes nearly half of Spain’s olive oil and about a fifth of the world’s. The main olive here is the Picual, and the harvest begins in autumn.
A sea of olives, and the wood that keeps it warm.
On the salt
In the Atlas, Olive Wood is paired with Sal Marinho.
Field notes
| Also known as | Olivo · olivar |
| Tree | Olea europaea, olive family |
| Variety | Picual, Jaén’s main olive |
| Home | Baeza · 37°59′ N |
| Trees | About 66 million in Jaén |
| Smoke | Savory, clean, hot · 3 of 5 |
| On the salt | Sal Marinho · Vol. I, Nº 06 |
Continue in The Origins Atlas
The rest of this chapter lives in the book: the full story of the place, how the wood burns, the people who keep the tradition, and the hand-drawn map.
- The Place · the Renaissance towns
- The Fire · dense and hot
- The Taste · savory and clean
Sources: Wikipedia, “Province of Jaén”; El Debate (2024); Baeza oleotourism guide; El Independiente (2018); Olive Oil Times. Imagery is illustrative and AI-generated.