Mehras
Country: Jordan (Jo)
Purpose: Oil
Distribution: Jordan
Synonyms: —
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”.
