If you are wandering the aisles of your local supermarket, it can be easy to get lost among the
different varieties of oils you see, which serve a number of purposes. Vegetable oil is very light,
and is preferred when additional flavor is undesirable. Peanut oil is used for frying because
it has a very high smoking point. Sesame oil adds a flavor that is familiar from Asian cuisines.
Coconut oil is said to boost the immune system, while flaxseed oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Typically when cooking, people will use what is most common in the region where they live,
and since this series is about Italian language and culture, there is no doubt that we will
discuss OLIVE OIL, mainly because it’s what Italians have handy. Was it always this way?
Where did olive oil come from? Let’s dig into the history of this wondrous golden liquid.
Surprisingly enough, Italy is not the country of origin for olive oil. This product is much more
ancient. There are mentions of olive trees in the stories of the Bible, when after the flood,
a white dove brought Noah an olive branch from Mount Ararat. The Quran also refers to olives as a
precious fruit that comes from a blessed tree. So we must certainly take a look at the Middle East:
ancient Persia, Mesopotamia, and Phoenicia, which would now refer to the area covered by
Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and other countries in the region.
It is known that this amazing product was already used in those times for so many purposes,
far beyond the culinary. Olive presses were found in Crete, where since the third millennium BCE,
Minoans considered olive oil a gift from the gods, using it to produce cosmetics, soap, and
medicines. The Egyptians utilized it as a cleanser and moisturizer since the times of Pharaohs. Even
Cleopatra used it as a skin treatment together with beeswax and her famous milk baths.
Greek physician Hippocrates already knew the value of olive oil, which he called “the great
therapeutic”, with significant nutritional value and iron content. From that point on,
olive oil also served a medicinal purpose in treating wounds, alleviating the itch from
nettles, as well as headaches and sore throats. It was even considered a remedy for constipation.
In a completely different context, it was also used in battle during the winter to mitigate
the effects of the cold on the skin. No wonder it was considered so precious!
In Greece, evidence of the first olive trees can be found 4,000 years ago. So much pottery
is decorated with this tree, so many paintings, not to mention the numerous references in Greek
mythology. In fact it was the goddess Athena who planted the first olive tree,
a tree with marvelous juice suitable for so many uses. In ancient Greece athletes were oiling their
bodies before and after practicing or competing, as it was already known that massaging muscles
with olive oil was beneficial for eliminating lactic acid from blood vessels. The oil also acted
as a cleaning agent, collecting sweat and dirt which athletes were removing with the help of a
tool called a strigil. The winning athletes were normally rewarded with money and silver medals
but sometimes also with richly ornate vases filled with 1,000 to 2,000 liters of olive oil.
The Greeks are the first who brought olive trees to Magna Graecia and Sicily. In Roman times,
this plant became even more important. At first the Romans were simply relying on the production
done in Spain and other provinces, countries which could offer a mild climate very favorable
to the cultivation of this plant. However, after they realized the importance of this plant, they
started their own cultivation in Italy. Both Pliny the Elder and Varro made extensive descriptions
of the cultivation of olive trees, plus pruning and harvesting, all by hand, into large baskets.
At that time it is thought that there were around 3,500 olive oil traders,
and the Emperor himself was setting the prices for the different qualities. The consumption of
olive oil in ancient Rome was astronomical, and it may have exceeded 25 million liters,
or 25 liters per capita each year. This is about a fourth of a cup a day for every single person.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the production of olive oil decreased somewhat,
although in the middle ages it was still used in Spain and France for soap making,
because olive oil has a great softening effect on skin. The great revival of production happened in
the 1300s when olive trees were planted in large quantities in the Italian region of Apulia. This
region seemed perfect for the cultivation. Olive trees are practically indestructible.
Their roots are so incredibly strong that they can regenerate even after fires, cold,
or diseases. They don’t even need much water. Just like the eucalyptus, they resist drought.
They can live thousands of years. If not attacked by bacteria, they seem to be almost immortal, and
they survive in areas where no other tree would. In the 1400s, Italy was the largest producer of
olive oil in the entire world, even though at that time the use of butter was just as common.
In the beginning of the 1700s olives started to be catalogued according to geographical cultivation
areas. Italy had over 30 varieties with Apulia, Tuscany, and now Umbria leading the production.
Apparently at this time, some missionaries brought the first olive trees to the New
World. More precisely, some Franciscan Monks brought olive trees to San Diego, California
in 1769. However, it took at least another century before it became commercialized.
This only happened with the emigration of Greeks and Italians to New York City.
Currently, thanks to the recognized “Dieta Mediterranea”,
olive oil has earned a premiere spot among the most popular imported ingredients in
the world. Because of its high price compared with other similar oils,
it is routinely subject to adulteration, sophistication, and counterfeiting. So be
careful with your wallets if you’re looking for the good stuff! Now with the history covered,
how is it that olive oil is produced today? Let’s move forward and learn about that too.