MEHRAS
Country: Jordan (Jo)
Purpose: Oil
Synonyms: —
Distribution: 1 continent
Asia
Jordan: local rooting and territorial continuity
Mehras is documented as a historic cultivar linked to northern Jordan, especially the Maysar area (Ajloun Governorate) and other inland territories of the country. Its presence is best read as territorial heritage: not a variety “everywhere,” but a genotype preserved and recognized within specific agricultural landscapes.
Cultural landscape: practices, memory, and community value
In these territories, Mehras is associated with local know-how and rural practices connected to olive growing and processing. This bond between cultivation, communities, and food culture helps define the olive tree not only as an agricultural resource, but also as an identity marker within the landscape and a carrier of collective memory.
Research and valorization: a reference point in olive genetic history
Genomic and phylogenetic studies have highlighted Mehras as a cultivar of strong scientific interest, linked to the evolutionary history of cultivated olives in the Mediterranean basin. Within the TGoP framework, this profile supports a clear message: a territory can become a “living archive,” where biodiversity, research, and economic valorization meet without erasing origin.
Agronomic and commercial considerations: The historical olive cultivar ‘Mehras’, from ‘Maysar’ area in Al-Hashemiya town of Ajloun, is considered one of the oldest genetic olive genotypes in the Mediterranean region. The phylogenetic analysis showed that ‘Mehras’ was genetically the closest to be a source of origin for the cultivated olives in Spain, Italy, and Cyprus. ‘Mehras’ is a genuine ancient ancestor that has preserved its existence through the ages, and its genetic fingerprint has proven its rich and unique genetic diversity between available olive genotypes around the Mediterranean basin, with genetic features of significant implications on the ability of ‘Mehras’ to adapt to climate changes and harsh environments maintaining a distinctive olive oil quality.
The high percentage of oil of ‘Mehras’ olives which reaches 30% is considered one of the highest percentages among olive varieties in the world. “A distinctive composition of fatty acids also characterizes ‘Mehras’ oil, with one of the highest percentages of oleic acid that reaches 70% comparable to other varieties, in addition to the sensory properties and the distinctive fruity flavor of ‘Mehras’ oil in particular”.