108 CULTIVAR ANALYSIS AND PROSPECTIVE STUDIES No. 35 Olive groves and olive oil 3. Table olives from the Trás-osMontes region Table olive production in the Trás-os-Montes region is based, above all, on the use of traditional cultivars adapted to local soil and climate conditions and integrated into predominantly traditional production systems. Among the most widely used cultivars are Negrinha de Freixo, Cobrançosa and Santulhana, recognised for their sensory characteristics and technological suitability for table olive production; a survey and characterisation of regional table olives is currently underway (Figure 3). Table olives from these cultivars have been the subject of a considerable number of studies, ranging from the characterisation of pitted green olives processed from these cultivars (Sousa et al., 2011) to the characterisation of the associated microbiota (Oliveira et al., 2017; Martins et al., 2025) and their antioxidant (Malheiro et al., 2011) and antimicrobial activities (Sousa et al., 2006; Pereira et al., 2006), and, more recently, to the assessment of their functional and probiotic potential (Oliveira et al., 2017), as well as to the promotion of the traditional fermentation processes associated with their production (Martins et al., 2024). In addition to these cultivars, there are others with local distribution that have not yet been studied or have been insufficiently characterised from a morphological, genetic, physico-chemical and sensory perspective. This varietal heritage represents an important genetic and cultural resource, with the potential to differentiate and enhance the value of regional products. Studies carried out to date highlight the uniqueness of the olives produced in this region, particularly in terms of their chemical composition, sensory profile and functional potential, reinforcing the importance of their preservation and promotion in the context of the sustainability and authenticity of agri-food products from Trás-os-Montes. Figure 3 – Samples of table olives collected from traditional producers in the Trás-os-Montes region, currently undergoing morphological, physico-chemical and sensory characterisation
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