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Olive culture has ancient roots. Fossilized remains of the olive tree's ancestor were found near Livorno, in Italy, dating from twenty million years ago, although actual cultivation probably did not occur in that area until the fifth century B.C. Olives were first cultivated in the Eastern part of the Mediterranean, in the region known as the "fertile crescent," and moved westwards over the millennia.
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Beginning in 5000 B.C, and until 1400 B.C., olive cultivation spread from Crete to Syria, Palestine, and Israel; commercial networking and application of new knowledge then brought it to Southern Turkey, Cyprus, and Egypt. Until 1500 B.C., Greece—particularly Mycenae—was the area most heavily cultivated with the expansion of the Greek colonies, olive culture reached Southern Italy and Northern Africa in the eighth century B.C., then spread into Southern France. Olive trees were planted in the entire Mediterranean basin under Roman rule. According to the historian Pliny, Italy had "excellent olive oil at reasonable prices" by the first century A.D, "the best in the Mediterranean," he maintained. In the land of the Hebrews, King Solomon and King David placed great importance on the cultivation of olive trees; King David even had guards watching over the olive groves and warehouses, ensuring the safety of the trees and their precious oil.
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LOTARIO EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL Ingredients: Awards:
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| Web Price: $25.95 |
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D'INTINO EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
Ingredients: Awards:
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| Web Price: $27.50 |
Olive trees dominated the rocky Greek countryside and became pillars of Hellenic society; they were so sacred that those who cut one down were condemned to death or exile. In ancient Greece and Rome, olive oil was the hottest commodity; advanced ships were built for the sole purpose of transporting it from Greece to trading posts around the Mediterranean. |
The belief that olive oil conferred strength and youth was widespread. In ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, it was infused with flowers and with grasses to produce both medicine and cosmetics; a list was excavated in Mycenae enumerating the aromatics (fennel, sesame, celery, watercress, mint, sage, rose, and juniper among others) added to olive oil in the preparation of ointments.
Olive trees have an almost titanic resistance, a vital force which renders them nearly immortal. Despite harsh winters and burning summers, despite truncations, they continue to grow, proud and strong reaching towards the sky, bearing fruit that nourishes and heals inspires and amazes. Temperate climactic conditions, characterized by warm dry summers and rainy winters, favor plentiful harvests; stone, drought, silence, and solitude are the ideal habitat for the majestic olive tree.
Italy, which produces nearly a third of the world's olive oil, is distinguished by the superior class of its extra vergine, made in all regions of the Center, South and in a few places in the north. The most flavorful and wholesome of edible oils is used raw in dressings or as a condiment for salads, vegetables, pastas, soups, seafood and meats. Chefs find extra vergine unmatchable in cooking, despite the higher cost. The best oils show distinct character due to terrain and climate, the varieties of olives they come from and methods of harvesting.
Hand picking of under-ripe olives renders oil of deep green color, fruity aroma and full flavor (sometimes a touch piquant). Mature olives make oil of paler color and subtler flavor. Traditional extraction by stone crushing and mat pressing is now substituted by more technologically advanced three or two phase continuous cycle. This system avoids the exposure of the olive paste to the air avoiding its oxidation.
By law, Extra Virgin Olive Oil must come from the first pressing of olives by mechanical (not chemical) means and must contain less than 0.5 percent of oleic acid (the key measure: the lower the acidity the better). Olio Vergin Olive Oil, may have a maximum of 2 percent acidity; what is called simply olio di oliva may be rectified and de-acidified. Such oils are best within a year of the harvest, since flavor slowly fades.