CHÉTOUI
Country: Tunisia
Purpose: Dual-purpose (table and oil)
Synonyms: “Beldi”, “Chaibi”, “Tounsia”, “Zaiati”
Diffusion: 2 continent
Africa
A structuring variety of North African olive landscapes
In Africa, Chétoui is a historically rooted variety, closely linked to North African olive-growing regions. Its distribution reflects long-term agricultural continuity rather than recent introduction.
The variety fits into systems marked by environmental variability, interacting with soils affected by humidity, salinity, and irregular climatic conditions, contributing to production stability.
Within the Gardens of Peace, Chétoui in Africa expresses a deep relationship between olive cultivation and territory, where oil quality and productivity emerge over time in response to complex environments.
Europe
Limited presence and evaluation contexts
In Europe, Chétoui appears only in limited and controlled contexts, mainly experimental groves and varietal collections.
Its presence is linked to interest in highly stable oils rather than large-scale agricultural diffusion.
Within the Gardens of Peace, Chétoui in Europe serves as a tool for comparison and dialogue between different Mediterranean olive cultures.
Agronomic and commercial considerations: This cultivar has a medium hardiness with a high rooting capacity. The entry into production is medium as well as the flowering period. It is a self-compatible cultivar with a low but constant productivity. It ripens in December and, although it is considered of dual purpose, due to the production of black table olives, it is one of the most important oil varieties in Tunisia. It is present in almost all the northern olive-growing regions of the country, occupying the 90-95% of it. This variety adapts particularly good to the northern plains, where the rainfall is never less than 400 mm per year. The oil yield is medium and the detachment of the pulp from the seed is easy. It is tolerant to cold temperatures and salinity environments, but it needs a good water supply. It is also resistant to the most common fetopathies, although it is sensitive to the olive leaf spot (Cycloconium oleaginum).