Lebanese Olive Oil: Souri, Terraces and What to Buy
Lebanese olive oil is made in a small country with an old relationship to the tree. Lebanon pressed about 16,000–19,500 tonnes a year across the last three seasons, according to the International Olive Council — under 1% of the world's crop — yet the IOC reports that more than 60% of its olive trees are over 150 years old [2], and many grow on hillsides and dry-stone terraces. We read the IOC's latest world balance [1], its catalogue entries for the Souri and Baladi cultivars [4], the Lebanese research literature [5–12] and the EU's eAmbrosia register [14] on 3 October 2026. This guide explains the Souri olive, the terraces and the ancient trees — with what has actually been measured — then what a Lebanese label does and does not guarantee, and what to look for when you buy.
For our own oil, see our Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml). It is a Moroccan oil, not a Lebanese one, and this guide is written so you can judge a Lebanese bottle on its own terms.
The Short Answer
- The International Olive Council forecasts Lebanese production of 19,500 tonnes in 2025/26, with 14,500 tonnes eaten at home and 4,500 tonnes exported [1].
- Lebanon became a full member of the IOC on 7 July 2017; the IOC then described more than 62,000 hectares of olives, some 200,000 orchards — over 90% of them under one hectare — and about 500 mills [2].
- Souri (also written Soury or Sorani) and Baladi are the two main Lebanese cultivars. The IOC catalogue traces Souri to the southern city of Tyre and credits it with high oil content and around 400 mg/kg of polyphenols [4].
- The terraces and ancient trees are real, but the ages are often exaggerated: the only radiocarbon study of the famous "Noah" trees dated the oldest sampled tree at 1,161 ± 131 years [12].
- On 3 October 2026 the EU's eAmbrosia register held no Lebanese name of any kind, so no Lebanese oil carries an EU PDO or PGI [14].
- The most useful lines on a Lebanese label are the origin, the cultivar, the producer or village, and a harvest date.
- Sidr & Stone's oil is a single-estate Moroccan extra virgin from outside Marrakech — judged by the same label checks.
How Much Olive Oil Lebanon Makes — and Where
Lebanese olive oil is oil pressed from olives grown in Lebanon, mostly from the native Souri and Baladi cultivars, on small family holdings spread from the far north to the south. The IOC balance adopted at its 122nd session in November 2025 gives these Lebanese figures [1]:
| Crop year | Production | Domestic consumption | Exports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 16,000 t | 13,000 t | 3,000 t |
| 2024/25 (provisional) | 19,000 t | 11,500 t | 7,500 t |
| 2025/26 (forecast) | 19,500 t | 14,500 t | 4,500 t |
Most of the oil stays in Lebanon. The structure of the sector explains why: when Lebanon joined the IOC, the Council described some 200,000 olive orchards, more than 90% of them smaller than one hectare and only 15% irrigated, with oil pressed in some 500 mills [2]. These are family groves, not plantations.
The Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL), the state's investment agency, puts the olive area at 590 km² in 2018 — around 5.6% of the country and 9% of its agricultural land — and splits olive oil production by region as follows [3]:
- North Lebanon: about 41%.
- Nabatieh: 21%.
- South Lebanon: 15%.
- Bekaa: 13%.
- Mount Lebanon: 10%.
IDAL also reports 2019 exports of 6,930 tonnes, led by the United States, Kuwait, Canada and the United Arab Emirates [3].
Souri and Baladi: The Cultivars Behind Lebanese Oil
Two native names cover most Lebanese oil. The IOC's World Catalogue of Olive Varieties, whose Lebanese datasheets were prepared with Lebanon's Ministry of Agriculture and the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI), describes them as follows [4].
| Cultivar | Origin and spread | What the IOC catalogue records |
|---|---|---|
| Souri (Soury, Sorani) | Originated around Tyre (Sour) in the south; grown mainly in North and South Lebanon | Oil content about 28–35% of fresh fruit; oleic acid around 67%; polyphenols around 400 mg/kg; high drought tolerance; best harvested for oil in October |
| Baladi | All the main olive areas: North, South, Mount Lebanon and the Bekaa | Oil content around 28% of fresh fruit; very high, slightly alternate production; a variable population, since baladi simply means "local" |
Souri: the southern name that travelled
Souri takes its name from Sour, the Arabic name for Tyre. The catalogue rates it highly tolerant of drought but poorly tolerant of olive fly, peacock spot and verticillium wilt, and notes that its firm flesh resists bruising between picking and pressing [4]. Souri is also grown across the wider Levant, as our guide to Palestinian olive oil explains.
Baladi, and a local landrace
Genetics adds depth to the names. Chalak and colleagues (Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, 2015) genotyped 73 Lebanese trees and found most belonged to the Eastern Mediterranean gene pool, with 93% sharing one eastern chloroplast haplotype [5]. A 2026 study by Youssef and colleagues surveyed 172 ancient and 129 young trees and assigned 241 of them — 80% — to one dominant landrace closely resembling the local Baladi and Souri cultivars [6]. Imported varieties are planted too; IDAL lists Barnea and Frantoio among them [3].
What the Research Says About the Oil
Lebanese olive oil from the main native cultivars generally meets the international chemical standard for extra virgin oil. Chehade and colleagues (Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2016) tested five Lebanese varieties over the 2010 and 2011 seasons and found acidity, peroxide value, UV absorbance, fatty acids and sterols within the IOC's extra virgin limits, with stearic and arachidic acids sometimes close to the maximum — and one notable exception [7].
That exception is worth understanding. In 2011, Δ-7-stigmastenol, a sterol used as an authenticity marker, ran above the 0.5% limit in Souri and especially Baladi [7]. The IOC's current trade standard (Revision 22, June 2026) now treats oils between 0.5% and 0.8% as authentic if further sterol and triglyceride checks are met [13]. A natural oil from a native cultivar can trip a marker built around other varieties; that is a classification question, not a sign of adulteration.
Three more studies show how much the grove and the season matter:
- El Riachy and colleagues (Frontiers in Nutrition, 2019) followed 11 varieties growing in Lebanon through four ripening stages and found variety, ripeness and their interaction all significantly changed oil content, fatty acids and phenols [8].
- A 2023 study by the same group (Plants) compared 76 oils from two local and eight European varieties across two regions and two harvest times; geographic origin, variety and harvest time all had significant effects, and the European varieties stood out for higher oleic acid, oleacein and oleocanthal [9].
- Merchak and colleagues (Food Chemistry, 2017) analysed oils from 234 Lebanese olive samples by NMR and could classify them by altitude and latitude; April and May rainfall significantly affected the oils [10].
For what those phenols are and why they matter for flavour, see our explainer on olive oil polyphenols.
Terraces, Mountains and the Ancient Trees
Much of Lebanon is mountain, and farmers made level ground by building dry-stone terraces. In the Shouf, Corrieri and colleagues (Biodiversity and Conservation, 2022) describe slopes terraced since ancient times for vines, olives, mulberries, walnuts and almonds, with walls built from stone cleared or quarried on site [11]. Today only about 330 of 3,809 hectares in their study area appear terraced — an underestimate, they note, because woodland hides some walls — and many terraces were abandoned as people migrated away [11].
How old are Lebanon's olive trees, really?
The best-known ancient grove is at Bshaaleh in northern Lebanon, where the trees called the "Sisters" or "Noah" olives are often described in local tradition as several thousand years old. The only published radiocarbon study tells a more modest — and still remarkable — story. Camarero and colleagues (Dendrochronologia, 2024) dated the oldest tree sampled in the Noah grove at 1,161 ± 131 years, and concluded that most monumental olive trees are centennial rather than millennial [12].
Old trees also hide two plants in one. Youssef and colleagues found that 55% of the ancient Lebanese trees they characterised had been grafted onto genetically distinct rootstocks [6]. The deeper history is regional: Chalak and colleagues note that the olive was first domesticated in the north-east Levant at least six millennia ago [5].
What a Lebanese Label Guarantees — and the Missing EU Designation
Lebanon is outside the EU, so its producers cannot use the EU's PDO and PGI symbols unless a name is registered on eAmbrosia, the Union register. On 3 October 2026 the register's own list of countries with entries included dozens of non-EU countries — Türkiye among them — but not Lebanon [14]. There is no EU-protected Lebanese olive oil.
| Label wording | What it tells you | What it does not tell you |
|---|---|---|
| "Extra virgin olive oil" | The top grade: free acidity no more than 0.80 g per 100 g, plus chemical and tasting criteria [13] | How fresh the oil is today |
| "Product of Lebanon" | The country of origin | Which region, village or cultivar |
| A named cultivar (Souri, Baladi) | The variety, and so a likely style | Quality or freshness on its own |
| A named village or producer | Who stands behind the oil | Grade, unless stated |
| Organic certification | An audited organic standard | Flavour, grade or harvest date |
| Harvest year or date | Which season the oil comes from | How it has been stored since |
How Lebanese Olive Oil Compares
Lebanon is a small producer next to the origins most shoppers know. The IOC's 2025/26 forecasts [1]:
| Origin | 2025/26 production forecast | Exports forecast |
|---|---|---|
| Tunisia | 450,000 t | 300,000 t |
| Türkiye | 290,000 t | 100,000 t |
| Morocco (Sidr & Stone's origin) | 160,000 t | 7,500 t |
| Lebanon | 19,500 t | 4,500 t |
| World total | 3,440,000 t | 1,297,500 t |
Lebanon and Morocco share a habit: both keep most of their oil at home. Tunisia and Türkiye export at scale. Our sister guides to Tunisian olive oil, Greek olive oil and Moroccan olive oil apply the same checks to those origins.
What to Buy: A Lebanese Bottle Checklist
Outside Lebanon, Lebanese oil is sold mainly through Middle Eastern grocers, specialist importers and online shops. These checks do most of the work:
- "Extra virgin" on the front — not "olive oil", "pure" or "light".
- Lebanon as the stated origin, not a blend statement.
- A named cultivar — Souri or Baladi is a good sign.
- A named producer, village or district, such as the North, Nabatieh or the South.
- A harvest date, or failing that the latest best-before date.
- Dark glass or a tin you will finish within a few months of opening.
For the same checks applied to any bottle, see our guide to choosing a quality olive oil.
The Honest Objections
"But aren't Lebanon's trees 6,000 years old?"
That figure is tradition, not measurement. The 2024 radiocarbon work found the oldest Noah-grove tree it sampled to be about 1,161 years old [12]. More than a thousand years is extraordinary on its own; it does not need inflating.
"Does the sterol result mean Souri oil isn't extra virgin?"
No. The 2016 study found Lebanese oils within the extra virgin limits except one marker in one season, and the IOC's 2026 standard now has a decision rule for exactly that range [7, 13]. It does mean a careful producer tests each batch before export.
"You sell Moroccan oil — why write about Lebanon?"
Because the label skills are the same, and a reader who can judge a Lebanese bottle can judge ours. We have no Lebanese grove and no first-hand harvest to describe; everything above comes from the sources listed. A fresh Souri from a careful producer is an excellent oil.
Why Sidr & Stone
This article's argument is that origin is a promise you can check. Sidr & Stone's Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml) makes that promise at the narrowest level possible: one farm, our own, on the plains outside Marrakech, Morocco.
- Single-estate — Sidr & Stone's olive oil comes from our own family-owned farm near Marrakech, Morocco, and we control every step from tree to bottle, with no blending across origins.
- Rain-fed — our trees are not irrigated; they take what the season gives, much as most Lebanese groves do.
- Organically grown — no synthetic fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides are used (not yet certified; certification is in progress).
- Single harvest — a small, limited batch, picked when the fruit is ready; the current batch's harvest details are on the product page.
- Cold-pressed within hours of harvest — mechanical extraction only, with no solvents, no refining and no deodorising.
- Unfiltered extra virgin — minimally processed, so it may show natural sediment, which is normal.
- 100% natural — a single ingredient, olive oil, with nothing blended in.
- Dark glass with a gold label — protective packaging against light.
- 10% of profits to charity — a brand-wide commitment.
- Fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
We will not tell you Sidr & Stone is better than a good Lebanese oil — a fresh Souri from a terraced village grove is a fine thing. What we will say is that our oil is single-estate Moroccan, rain-fed, organically grown and cold-pressed within hours of harvest. For the wider case for one named grove, see our piece on single-estate olive oil.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lebanese olive oil good?
It can be excellent. Lebanon's native Souri and Baladi cultivars generally meet the international extra virgin standard in published testing; as with any origin, the grade, harvest date and storage decide how good a particular bottle is.
What is Souri olive oil?
Oil pressed from the Souri olive, a cultivar the IOC catalogue traces to Tyre in South Lebanon. It is drought-tolerant, high in oil, and the catalogue records around 400 mg/kg of polyphenols in its oil.
How can I tell if an olive oil is really Lebanese?
Check that the origin line names Lebanon, and prefer a label that names the producer, the village or region and the cultivar. There is no EU PDO symbol for Lebanese oil, so those lines carry the information.
Does Lebanon have any protected olive oil designations?
Not in the EU: eAmbrosia listed no Lebanese names on 3 October 2026. Lebanon is a full member of the International Olive Council, whose trade standard sets the grade definitions.
How old are the oldest olive trees in Lebanon?
The oldest tree dated by radiocarbon in the Noah grove at Bshaaleh was 1,161 ± 131 years old. Claims of several thousand years come from local tradition rather than measurement.
Is Lebanese olive oil better than Moroccan olive oil?
Neither is automatically better. Both countries keep most of their oil at home and grow largely rain-fed trees; a good extra virgin from either should pass the same label checks.
Where can I buy a single-estate extra virgin olive oil?
Look for a producer that names one farm and sells only extra virgin. Our Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml) is available to pre-order from the current single-harvest batch, with fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
Is olive oil a medicine?
No. Olive oil is a food, not a medicine. It has a long traditional history — including being honoured in the Prophetic Sunnah — and a substantial body of modern research, particularly around polyphenols, cardiovascular health, and the Mediterranean diet pattern. It can be a worthwhile part of a healthy routine, but it does not cure diseases and is not a substitute for medical care. Be cautious of any olive oil marketed with specific disease-cure claims.
Final Thoughts
Lebanese olive oil is a small crop with a long memory. It comes from family groves on terraces and hillsides, from native cultivars such as Souri and Baladi, and from trees that can be more than a thousand years old — even if not the six thousand that legend suggests. Most of it never leaves the country.
When it does, the back label is your guide: Lebanon as the origin, a named cultivar and producer, and a harvest date. Read those lines and you can choose a Lebanese oil well, or compare it fairly with any other origin — the same test we invite for our own bottle.
Our Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml) — single-estate, rain-fed and cold-pressed within hours of harvest — is available to pre-order now as a limited single-harvest batch, with fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
Our extra virgin olive oil is grown organically on our own single-estate farm on the plains outside Marrakech: we control every step from tree to bottle, and no synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers are used. It is not yet certified organic — certification is in progress, and we will publish it as soon as it comes through.
References
- International Olive Council. World olive oil balance, 2023/24 – 2025/26 (document 122-HO-2025, adopted at the 122nd session of the Council of Members, November 2025). Accessed 3 October 2026. https://www.internationaloliveoil.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/122-HO-2025.pdf
- International Olive Council. "Lebanon becomes a full Member of the International Olive Council". Accessed 3 October 2026. https://www.internationaloliveoil.org/862-lebanon-becomes-a-full-member-of-the-international-olive-council/
- Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL). Olive oil — sectors in focus. Accessed 3 October 2026. https://investinlebanon.gov.lb/en/sectors_in_focus/agri-food/olive_oil
- International Olive Council. World Catalogue of Olive Varieties: Soury or Sorani; Baladi (Lebanon; datasheets prepared with the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture and LARI). Accessed 3 October 2026. https://worldolivecatalogue.internationaloliveoil.org/en/variety/lebanon/soury-or-sorani
- Chalak L, Haouane H, Essalouh L, Santoni S, Besnard G, Khadari B. Extent of the genetic diversity in Lebanese olive (Olea europaea L.) trees: a mixture of an ancient germplasm with recently introduced varieties. Genet Resour Crop Evol. 2015;62(4):621-633. doi:10.1007/s10722-014-0187-1.
- Youssef A, Chalak L, El Riachy M, El Bakkali A, Tollon-Cordet C, Merheb J, Khadari B. Structure and dynamics of Lebanese ancient versus modern olive germplasm. Genet Resour Crop Evol. 2026;73(7):265. doi:10.1007/s10722-026-02887-5.
- Chehade A, Bitar AE, Kadri A, Choueiri E, Nabbout R, Youssef H, Smeha M, Awada A, Chami ZA, Dubla E, Trani A, Mondelli D, Famiani F. In situ evaluation of the fruit and oil characteristics of the main Lebanese olive germplasm. J Sci Food Agric. 2016;96(7):2532-2538. doi:10.1002/jsfa.7373. PMID: 26250960.
- El Riachy M, Hamade A, Ayoub R, Dandachi F, Chalak L. Oil Content, Fatty Acid and Phenolic Profiles of Some Olive Varieties Growing in Lebanon. Front Nutr. 2019;6:94. doi:10.3389/fnut.2019.00094. PMID: 31334240.
- El Riachy M, Moubarak P, Al Hawi G, Geha M, Mushantaf W, Estephan N, Skaff W. Fatty Acid and Phenolic Profiles of Virgin Olive Oils from Local and European Varieties Planted in Lebanon. Plants (Basel). 2023;12(14):2681. doi:10.3390/plants12142681. PMID: 37514295.
- Merchak N, El Bacha E, Bou Khouzam R, Rizk T, Akoka S, Bejjani J. Geoclimatic, morphological, and temporal effects on Lebanese olive oils composition and classification: A 1H NMR metabolomic study. Food Chem. 2017;217:379-388. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.08.110. PMID: 27664649.
- Corrieri F, Piras F, Abou Assi M, Focacci M, Conti L. Terraced landscapes of the Shouf Biosphere Reserve (Lebanon): analysis of geomorphological variables. Biodivers Conserv. 2022;31(10):2421-2433. doi:10.1007/s10531-021-02205-8.
- Camarero JJ, Touchan R, Valeriano C, Bashour I, Stephan J. Dating the Noah trees to improve age estimates in centennial and millennial olive trees. Dendrochronologia. 2024;84:126181. doi:10.1016/j.dendro.2024.126181.
- International Olive Council. Trade Standard Applying to Olive Oils and Olive Pomace Oils, COI/T.15/NC No. 3/Rev. 22, June 2026. https://www.internationaloliveoil.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/COI-T.15NC-No.-3Rev.-22-_TRADE-STANDARD-REV-22_EN.pdf
- European Commission. eAmbrosia — the EU geographical indications register, country reference data. Accessed 3 October 2026. https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/eambrosia/geographical-indications-register/
Disclaimer: This article describes Lebanese olive oil production, cultivars and labelling using International Olive Council, Lebanese government, European Commission and peer-reviewed sources as they stood on 3 October 2026; forecasts are revised regularly, and register entries, standards and regulations may change, so readers should check current sources. References to Lebanese regions and producers are made in good faith and in fair terms and imply no affiliation. Olive oil is a food, not a medicine, and is not a substitute for medical treatment of any condition. For any health concern, consult a qualified medical professional.