Tunisian Olive Oil: Chemlali, Chetoui and How It Compares
Tunisian olive oil is the biggest olive oil story most shoppers have never read on a label. Tunisia is forecast to be the world's second-largest producer in 2025/26, behind only Spain, and to supply roughly a quarter of all the olive oil traded across borders — yet the word "Tunisia" rarely makes it to the front of a bottle. We read the International Olive Council's latest balance sheet [1], the Tunisian Office National de l'Huile's own regional figures [2] and the IOC's catalogue entries for Chemlali, Chetoui and Oueslati [3] on 1 October 2026, and checked the EU's eAmbrosia register [4] the same day. This guide explains the cultivars, the regions, why so much Tunisian oil travels in bulk, what a Tunisian label does and does not guarantee, and how it compares — including with our own Moroccan oil next door.
For our own oil, see our Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml). It is a Moroccan oil, not a Tunisian one, and this guide is written so you can judge a Tunisian bottle on its own terms.
The Short Answer
- The International Olive Council forecasts Tunisian production of 450,000 tonnes in 2025/26 — about 13% of a 3,440,000-tonne world crop, and second only to Spain's 1,371,900 tonnes among individual countries [1].
- Tunisia is forecast to export 300,000 tonnes and consume only 50,000 tonnes at home; that is roughly 23% of all olive oil exported worldwide [1].
- Chemlali Sfax is the backbone: the IOC's variety catalogue credits it with about 56% of Tunisia's olive area and 69% of its trees, mostly in the centre and south [3].
- Chetoui, from the north, is the second main oil variety; Oueslati, from Kairouan, is a smaller variety increasingly sought for its oil quality [3].
- On 1 October 2026 the EU's eAmbrosia register held no Tunisian geographical indication of any kind — no olive oil PDO or PGI [4]. Tunisia protects a small number of olive oil names under its own national system instead [5].
- Much of Tunisia's export leaves in bulk and is blended or bottled elsewhere, so the most useful lines on a Tunisian label are the origin statement, the cultivar and the harvest date.
- Sidr & Stone's oil is a single-estate Moroccan extra virgin from outside Marrakech — a North African neighbour, judged by the same label checks.
How Much Olive Oil Tunisia Makes — and Where
Tunisian olive oil is oil pressed from olives grown in Tunisia, overwhelmingly from native varieties such as Chemlali and Chetoui, and Tunisia is one of the world's largest producers. The IOC balance adopted at its 122nd session in November 2025 — the latest on its statistics page on 1 October 2026 — gives these Tunisian figures [1]:
| Crop year | Production | Domestic consumption | Exports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 220,000 t | 30,000 t | 199,500 t |
| 2024/25 (provisional) | 340,000 t | 45,000 t | 275,000 t |
| 2025/26 (forecast) | 450,000 t | 50,000 t | 300,000 t |
The swings are typical of a largely rain-fed crop: output more than doubled in two seasons. The Office National de l'Huile (ONH), Tunisia's state olive oil body, publishes where the oil comes from. Its preliminary estimate for 2024/25 — about 1.7 million tonnes of olives, or roughly 330,000 tonnes of oil — splits by region as follows [2]:
- Centre-west (Kairouan, Kasserine, Sidi Bouzid, Gafsa): 39% of national oil output.
- Sahel (the central coast around Sousse, Monastir and Mahdia): 23%.
- North: 18%.
- South-east: 12%.
- Sfax governorate: 8%.
Sidi Bouzid led individual governorates with an estimated 60,400 tonnes of oil, ahead of Kairouan (39,000 tonnes) and Mahdia (32,700 tonnes) [2]. The ONH's estimate and the IOC's provisional figure differ slightly, which is normal: they were compiled at different points in the season.
The Cultivars: Chemlali, Chetoui and Oueslati
Tunisia's olive oil is built on a handful of native cultivars, and the IOC's World Catalogue of Olive Varieties describes the three names most buyers will meet [3].
| Cultivar | Origin and where it grows | Weight in Tunisia (IOC catalogue) |
|---|---|---|
| Chemlali Sfax | Originated around Sfax; cultivated throughout the centre and south | About 56% of olive area and 69% of trees; "the main oil variety in Tunisia" |
| Chetoui (Chétoui) | Originated in Manouba, in the north; grown across most of the north | Nearly 12% of olive area; the second main oil variety |
| Oueslati | Originated in Kairouan governorate; grown mainly in Kairouan and Siliana | A secondary variety, now in demand in many regions for its oil quality |
Chemlali: the dryland workhorse
Chemlali dominates because it copes with heat and drought. A 2018 study by Manai-Djebali and colleagues in the Journal of Oleo Science describes it as the main Tunisian cultivar because it is the most adapted to the arid climate [6]. Its character also depends on where it grows: Lazzez and colleagues found that the volatiles, phenols, fatty acids and chlorophylls of Chemlali oils differed significantly between three Tunisian regions [10].
Chetoui: the green north
Chetoui is the variety of the north. Ben Youssef and colleagues, in a 2010 study in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, followed Chétoui oil through ripening: total phenols rose at the early stages and then fell as the fruit matured, and they placed the best stage for pressing between ripeness indices 2 and 3 [7]. A 2016 sensory study by Essid and colleagues tasted 60 Chétoui extra virgin oils from six northern areas; oils from Tebourba were defined by tomato notes, those from the other areas by grass and leaf [8].
Oueslati and the rest
Oueslati is the smaller name worth noting from central Tunisia. Laroussi-Mezghani and colleagues (Food Chemistry, 2015) showed that each Tunisian variety has a characteristic fatty-acid "morphotype", and that Chemlali Sfax, Chetoui and Oueslati — the most represented varieties — can be told apart chemically [9]. For a buyer, the practical point is simpler: a bottle that names its cultivar is telling you something real. Why that matters for flavour and freshness is covered in our explainer on olive oil polyphenols.
Why So Much Tunisian Oil Leaves in Bulk
Tunisia exports most of its olive oil, and most of that export travels unbranded. Clodoveo and colleagues, writing in Sustainability in 2021, put the bulk share of Tunisian olive oil exports at more than 90% [5]. Lazzez and colleagues (Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2023) note that Tunisian virgin olive oils are mainly exported in bulk or blended with oils of other origin, which hides their identity on the international market [10].
Trade policy is part of the reason. Under its trade arrangements with the European Union, Tunisia has an annual duty-free quota of 56,700 tonnes of virgin olive oil, and in 2016 the European Parliament backed a further temporary 35,000 tonnes a year to support the Tunisian economy [11]. The same Parliament note recorded that olive oil made up about half of Tunisia's agricultural exports.
Bulk is not a quality verdict. It means a great deal of good Tunisian oil reaches shoppers inside blends whose labels name a different country of bottling — or only "not of EU origin". The brands that do sell Tunisian oil under their own name are the exception. Terra Delyssa is the best-known: on its own site, it says its parent, CHO Company, began by selling bulk oil to European co-packers in the 1990s and created Terra Delyssa as the "ambassador brand of Tunisian olive oil" [12].
What a Tunisian Label Guarantees — and the Missing EU Designation
Because Tunisia is outside the EU, there is no Tunisian equivalent of a Greek or Portuguese PDO on European shelves. When we pulled the full eAmbrosia register on 1 October 2026 — 3,982 entries across food, wine and spirits — it contained no Tunisian name at all [4]. Türkiye, by comparison, has four registered olive oil names and a fifth applied for, as our guide to Turkish olive oil explains.
Tunisia does protect origin names under its own law. Clodoveo and colleagues list two national olive oil indications, Monastir and Téboursouk [5], and Téboursouk olive oil was registered internationally under WIPO's Lisbon system in 2020 [13]. Neither is an EU designation, so neither carries the EU PDO symbol.
| Label wording | What it tells you | What it does not tell you |
|---|---|---|
| "Extra virgin olive oil" | The top grade under EU marketing rules: mechanical extraction only, free acidity no more than 0.80% [14] | How fresh the oil is today |
| "Product of Tunisia" / Tunisia as origin | The olives were grown and pressed in Tunisia | Which region or cultivar |
| "Blend of olive oils not of European Union origin" | The oil came from outside the EU, possibly from more than one country [14] | Whether any of it is Tunisian |
| A named cultivar (Chemlali, Chetoui, Oueslati) | The variety, and so a likely style | Quality or freshness on its own |
| Organic certification (EU or USDA) | 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 Tunisian Olive Oil Compares
On volume, Tunisia sits between Spain and everyone else. The IOC's 2025/26 forecasts put the five largest producing countries as follows [1]; we add the EU register count we took on 1 October 2026 [4].
| Origin | 2025/26 production forecast | Registered olive oil names on eAmbrosia |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | 1,371,900 t | 35 |
| Tunisia | 450,000 t | None |
| Italy | 300,000 t | 50 |
| Türkiye | 290,000 t | 4 registered, 1 applied |
| Greece | 220,000 t | 33 |
| Morocco (Sidr & Stone's origin) | 160,000 t | None |
The pattern is striking: the second-largest producer has the least paperwork. That says more about where Tunisian oil is sold — in bulk, to other countries' bottlers — than about how good it is. For the European rules, see our sister guides to Greek olive oil, Portuguese olive oil and Spanish olive oil.
Tunisia and Morocco: neighbours, opposite markets
Morocco, where our own grove is, is the clearest contrast. The IOC forecasts Moroccan production of 160,000 tonnes in 2025/26, domestic consumption of 160,000 tonnes and exports of only 7,500 tonnes [1]. Tunisia exports most of what it makes; Morocco eats most of what it makes. Our guide to Moroccan olive oil covers Picholine Marocaine, the cultivar behind most Moroccan oil, and our piece on African olive oil sets both countries against Algeria and Egypt.
Neither origin is better by default. A fresh Chetoui from the north or a careful Oueslati can be every bit as good as a Moroccan oil; a tired blend from either country will be poor. The difference worth knowing is the kind of promise on the bottle, not the flag.
Where to Buy Tunisian Olive Oil
In the UK, EU and US, Tunisian oil under its own name is most often found as a supermarket or online-grocery brand such as Terra Delyssa, which sells USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified oils [12]. Specialist importers and delis also carry single-estate and monovarietal Tunisian oils. Whatever you buy, five checks do most of the work:
- Find "extra virgin" — not "olive oil", "light" or "pure".
- Read the origin line — "Tunisia", or a blend statement.
- Look for the cultivar — Chemlali, Chetoui or Oueslati on the label is a good sign.
- Check the harvest date or best-before date, and buy the most recent.
- Choose 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
"Isn't Tunisian oil just cheap bulk oil?"
Much of it is sold in bulk, but bulk describes how it is traded, not how it was made. The ONH runs its own annual prize for the best Tunisian extra virgin oil, now in its ninth edition [2], and the research cited above studies monovarietal extra virgin oils from Chetoui and Chemlali. The fair test is the same as for any oil: grade, cultivar, harvest date and storage.
"Is my 'Italian' or 'Spanish' bottle secretly Tunisian?"
It can contain Tunisian oil only if the label allows it. EU rules require a blend from outside the EU to say "not of European Union origin", and a single-country oil to name that country [14]. If your bottle names one EU country as the origin, the olives should have been grown and pressed there; if it says "blend", read the small print.
"You sell Moroccan oil — why write about Tunisia?"
Because the label skills are the same, and a reader who can read a Tunisian bottle can judge ours too. We have no Tunisian heritage to claim, and Tunisia's scale dwarfs Morocco's export trade. If a fresh Chetoui suits your kitchen, it is an excellent choice.
Why Sidr & Stone
This article's argument is that origin is a promise you can check, not an adjective. 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.
- 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 Tunisian oil — a fresh Chetoui from a careful northern producer is a fine thing, and Tunisia's growers make far more oil than we ever will. 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 Tunisian olive oil good?
It can be excellent. Tunisia is one of the world's largest producers, with distinctive native cultivars such as Chetoui and Chemlali; as with any origin, the grade, harvest date and storage decide how good a particular bottle is.
What is the difference between Chemlali and Chetoui olive oil?
Chemlali is the dryland variety of the centre and south and makes up most of Tunisia's trees; Chetoui is the northern variety. In one sensory study, Chetoui oils showed tomato notes from Tebourba and grass and leaf notes from other northern areas.
How can I tell if an olive oil is really Tunisian?
Check that the origin line names Tunisia rather than a blend statement, prefer a label that names the producer and cultivar, and look for a harvest date. There is no EU PDO symbol for Tunisian oil, so those lines carry the information.
Does Tunisia have any protected olive oil designations?
Not in the EU register: eAmbrosia listed no Tunisian names on 1 October 2026. Tunisia protects a small number nationally, including Monastir and Téboursouk, and Téboursouk is registered under WIPO's Lisbon system.
Is Tunisian olive oil better than Moroccan olive oil?
Neither is automatically better. Tunisia exports at scale and Morocco keeps most of its oil at home; a good extra virgin from either should pass the same label checks.
Is Terra Delyssa olive oil Tunisian?
Yes. Terra Delyssa describes itself as the ambassador brand of Tunisian olive oil, produced by CHO Company. Our Terra Delyssa review covers the brand in detail.
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
Tunisian olive oil deserves far more credit than its labels give it. It is forecast to be the world's second-largest olive oil crop in 2025/26, it supplies close to a quarter of the oil traded between countries, and its Chemlali and Chetoui cultivars are found almost nowhere else. Much of it simply travels without its name.
The fix is on the back label: look for Tunisia as the stated origin, a named cultivar and a harvest date. Read those lines and you can choose a Tunisian 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; published December 2025). Accessed 1 October 2026. https://www.internationaloliveoil.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/122-HO-2025.pdf
- Office National de l'Huile (Tunisia). Suivi de l'avancement de la campagne oléicole 2024/2025 (متابعة تقدم الموسم الزيتي). Accessed 1 October 2026. https://www.onh.com.tn/?p=1400
- International Olive Council. World Catalogue of Olive Varieties: Chemlali Sfax; Chetoui; Oueslati. Accessed 1 October 2026. https://worldolivecatalogue.internationaloliveoil.org/
- European Commission. eAmbrosia — the EU geographical indications register (all product types). Accessed 1 October 2026. https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/eambrosia/geographical-indications-register/
- Clodoveo ML, Yangui A, Fendri M, Giordano S, Crupi P, Corbo F. Protected Geographical Indications for EVOO in Tunisia: Towards Environmental, Social, and Economic Sustainable Development. Sustainability. 2021;13(20):11201. doi:10.3390/su132011201.
- Manai-Djebali H, Oueslati I, Martínez-Cañas MA, Zarrouk M, Sánchez-Casas J. Improvement of the Sterol and Triacylglycerol Compositions of Chemlali Virgin Olive Oils through Controlled Crossing with Mediterranean Cultivars. J Oleo Sci. 2018;67(4):379-388. doi:10.5650/jos.ess17105. PMID: 29526869.
- Ben Youssef N, Zarrouk W, Carrasco-Pancorbo A, Ouni Y, Segura-Carretero A, Fernández-Gutiérrez A, Daoud D, Zarrouk M. Effect of olive ripeness on chemical properties and phenolic composition of Chétoui virgin olive oil. J Sci Food Agric. 2010;90(2):199-204. doi:10.1002/jsfa.3784. PMID: 20355031.
- Essid F, Sifi S, Beltrán G, Sánchez S, Raïes A. Sensory and Volatile Profiles of Monovarietal North Tunisian Extra Virgin Olive Oils from 'Chétoui' Cultivar. J Oleo Sci. 2016;65(7):533-542. doi:10.5650/jos.ess15297. PMID: 27321118.
- Laroussi-Mezghani S, Vanloot P, Molinet J, Dupuy N, Hammami M, Grati-Kamoun N, Artaud J. Authentication of Tunisian virgin olive oils by chemometric analysis of fatty acid compositions and NIR spectra. Comparison with Maghrebian and French virgin olive oils. Food Chem. 2015;173:122-132. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.10.002. PMID: 25466003.
- Lazzez A, Quintanilla-Casas B, Vichi S. Combining different biomarkers to distinguish Chemlali virgin olive oils from different geographical areas of Tunisia. J Sci Food Agric. 2023;103(7):3295-3305. doi:10.1002/jsfa.12506. PMID: 36794483.
- European Parliament. "MEPs back more duty-free olive oil imports to help Tunisia but want safeguards". Press release, 25 February 2016. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20160223IPR15498/
- Terra Delyssa. Our Story; homepage product information. Accessed 1 October 2026. https://terradelyssa.com/pages/our-story
- L'Économiste Maghrébin. "Téboursouk : son huile d'olive obtient l'appellation d'origine protégée", 10 July 2020. https://www.leconomistemaghrebin.com/2020/07/10/teboursouk-huile-olive-appellation-origine-protegee/
- Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2104 of 29 July 2022 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 as regards marketing standards for olive oil. Official Journal of the European Union, L 284, 4 November 2022, p. 1.
Disclaimer: This article describes Tunisian olive oil production, cultivars and labelling using International Olive Council, Office National de l'Huile and European Commission sources as they stood on 1 October 2026; forecasts are revised regularly, and register entries, specifications and regulations may change, so readers should check current sources. References to Tunisian regions, designations and brands 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.