UC Davis Olive Center Releases ‘Friends Blend’ Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The UC Davis Olive Center is releasing a new olive oil that’s as meaningful as it is tasty. “Friends Blend” will be available for purchase starting this week and the community is invited to get a free taste during Picnic Day, a beloved campus event that will be held April 18.

The flavor profile for this extra virgin olive oil offers a balance of ripe and green olive notes, hints of green tea and nutty tones, finishing with a pleasant peppery kick. It comes in a 355ml aluminum bottle, which protects the oil from light and oxygen, helping preserve its flavor and nutrients. Bottles are available for $25 at the UC Davis bookstore locations on campus and in downtown Davis and there will be a tasting opportunity at the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science on Picnic Day.

Selina Wang, faculty director of the Olive Center, said this product was made thanks to the partnership with local olive oil producers California Olive Ranch, Corto Olive and Séka Hills, which all contributed to producing the batch of olive oil – from harvesting the fruit, milling, bottling and printing the labels. She said this project highlights the center’s commitment to collaboration and creating something the community can enjoy.

“This oil represents nearly 20 years of strong partnership with the California olive oil industry,” Wang said. “We call it ‘Friends Blend’ because these collaborators are friends of the university. I'm proud of this product because we were able to bring people together to create something that reflects quality and community.”

Alumni partnership produces flavorful blend

Wang, who is also professor of Cooperative Extension in small scale fruit and vegetable processing, also credits UC Davis alumni who have been working with her on this special blend as an industry partner. 

Wang said alums Mary Mori and Lu Li, who both work at California Olive Ranch, helped in the creation of this new olive oil. Li, product quality manager, worked on building the flavor profile of the herbaceous blend. This opportunity meant a lot to Li, who first learned the craft as an undergraduate interning at the Olive Center.

“This collaboration feels especially meaningful to me because it represents a true full-circle moment,” Li said. “As a food science undergraduate at UC Davis, I interned at the Olive Center 10 years ago, where I first began tasting olive oil and was introduced to the world of olive oil quality. That experience opened the door to the career I’m in today.”

Proceeds from the sale of this product help support student research and education at the Olive Center, which Mori shows is vital to strengthening the future of the olive and olive oil industry.

“As a proud Aggie I have been grateful to have a job where I could continue to work with the greats at UC Davis,” said Mori, vice president of quality and product. “Our years of collaboration with UC Davis has not only strengthened California Olive Ranch’s innovation pipeline but has also created meaningful research opportunities that help prepare the next generation of food science leaders.”

Bringing home a taste of UC Davis

While this special blend marks a one-year departure from the Olive Center’s usual olive oil production, its longtime signature products will return to shelves after the next harvest at the university’s Wolfskill Ranch this fall.

For now, Wang is excited to celebrate Friends Blend and hopes it will be a featured part of people’s kitchens and tables, offering a taste of the UC Davis community and its partnerships.

“The Olive Center has always been about bringing passionate people together, from industry partners to our local community to the students who have trained here and are now leaders in various fields,” Wang said. “This blend celebrates UC Davis as a place where collaboration, education and innovation come together.”