And like many things Kiwi, their progeny have done their job with modest brilliance, producing a superbly intense oil with a distinctive peppery finish.

The much-heralded koroneiki olive belongs to the greek royal family of olives, and is related to the kalamata.  It produces an aromatic and full-bodied yet very smooth oil.

The leccino olive originates in Tuscany and produces a more delicate oil with a mildly fruity flavour.

In 2009 we have only limited quantities of koroneiki and leccino.  J5 is available in 500, 250 and 100ml bottles, as well as in 5L and 20L containers.

arikari produces three varieties of extra virgin olive oil: j5, koroneiki and leccino: 

The j5 olive tree can thank  its unknown ancestry for its unimaginative name.  Olive trees were one of the first European settlers in NZ, and the first known olive trees were observed in Northland by Charles Darwin when he visited in 1835, having been brought out to NZ by the early missionaries.

The j5 trees now grown commercially, including Karikari’s have all come from a couple of mother trees brought out by early settlers to the North, and which still survive today despite having their roots in the salty water of the Hokianga.