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    An Olive Oil Tour of France
    An Olive Oil Tour of France
    An Olive Oil Tour of France
    Ebook99 pages1 hour

    An Olive Oil Tour of France

    By Alice Alech

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    In France, producing olive oil is serious business. It's also usually a family business. In An Olive Oil Tour of France, writer Alice Alech takes curious olive oil novices and olive oil lovers behind the scenes of olive oil production, learning fascinating facts about the green nectar, meeting the people involved in blending both traditional and modern methods, as well as studying how the olive oil industry has evolved over the years. This is not just a recipe book, or a list of health advantages of olive oil but an appreciation of Provence and Corsica's contribution to the world of extra virgin.

    Since living in the South of France and writing about olive oil I found it natural to change my eating habits and to adopt a healthier lifestyle. This took me straight to the wonderful discovery of olive oil, and with that I met some fascinating people: growers and producers who speak with passion, drawing me into their olive oil world as they relate their different stories, olive oil tasting experts who patiently explained what to look for when you sip and slurp, cooks who have discovered healthy and tasty extra virgin and finally those involved in sharing their knowledge, teaching and promoting olive oil in France.

    It seemed right that it should all be documented, hence my decision to write An Olive Oil Tour of France.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAlice Alech
    Release dateSep 9, 2013
    ISBN9781301076239
    An Olive Oil Tour of France
    Author

    Alice Alech

    Based in France, writer Alice Alech has reported on the business of olive oil in France for many years. An Olive Oil Tour of France, her first book is based on her articles, her research and the people she has met in the olive oil industry in France.

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    Reviews for An Olive Oil Tour of France

    3.5/5

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    • 3/5
      If you want to learn a little about olives and the olive oil industry, specifically in France, this little book will meet that desire. The book talks about the differences in olives and the types of oil they will give. It gives tips for using olive oil in cooking. The final portion of the book contains several recipes using olive oil.
    • 4/5
      When Alice Alech contacted me about providing a review for her book, An Olive Oil Tour of France, I hesitated at first, mainly because I'm not really a foodie, nor am I much of a cook. However, not in the habit of turning authors down for reviews, I eventually accepted, figuring that I did like olive oil and was a little curious about where it comes from and how it's made. As it happens, An Olive Oil Tour of France certainly satisfied those curiosities and taught me a few things I didn't know before reading it. It is a relatively short but concise book that focuses solely on the olive oil industry in France. The author gives a brief history of how olive oil production began and has grown throughout the years in France, the cultivation of olive trees, and an overview of how the oil is produced. I was a little surprised to discover that the people who are in this business take it very seriously, and olive oil production seems to rival wine production in its attention to detail. Olive oil can have different flavors based on the region of France where the olives are grown, the ripeness of the olives used in making the oil, and how the olives are processed. In fact, just like there are professional wine tasters, there are also professional olive oil tasters, as well as olive oil competitions. The olive oil industry in France is very tightly regulated with strict requirements that must be met in order to receive the official government labels. I finally learned the difference between ordinary olive oil, “virgin,” and “extra-virgin.” I was also surprised to find out that most olive growers in France produce a relatively small amount of oil per year, leading many of them to form cooperatives to help off-set the production costs. The author takes the reader inside the lives of a few of these growers as well.I've always known that olive oil is considered to be a healthier oil with which to cook than regular vegetable oil, but until reading An Olive Oil Tour of France, I had no idea that it actually has health benefits. Studies that have been done regarding the benefits of the oil as well as the Mediterranean diet are presented in the book, in addition to a list of ways in which olive oil can be used for health and beauty purposes. The author also discusses uses for olive oil outside of cooking, such as a very old brand of soap that has been around for centuries.All of the things I outlined above comprise just a little more than half of the book. The remaining pages contain several recipes using olive oil, everything from main dishes, to bread, to desserts, some of which are accompanied by color photos (if, of course, you have a color eReader, which I don't, but I opened the file on my computer to take a closer look.:-)). Some of the recipes sounded interesting, but the measurements are given in European (metric) measures, which I'm not talented enough to try to convert. However, much more experienced cooks than myself will probably have no trouble with them. Overall, I'd say that An Olive Oil Tour of France would make a nice addition to the kitchen library of any cook, chef, gastronomist or anyone who has an interest in learning more about olive oil and it's uses.Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

    Book preview

    An Olive Oil Tour of France - Alice Alech

    Contents

    About An Olive Oil Tour of France

    Introduction

    A brief history

    Olive cultivation

    Some facts and figures

    Tasting

    Provencal flavors

    Combining Tradition and Modern Techniques

    Gold Medal Award for Arizzi Olive Oil from Provence

    The spirit of the cooperative

    Portrait of a Corsican olive orchard

    Health benefits of olive oil and the Mediterranean diet

    Olive oil and hair

    Beautifying and protection benefits of olive oil

    Using and Storing Olive Oil

    Revival of Savon de Marseille – the olive oil soap

    Olive Oil and Chocolate

    Marketing and educating the public

    Teaching and Training

    An Olive Oil SWOT Analysis

    Appendix: Favourite French recipes using olive oil

    Black Olive Tapenade

    Pissaladière

    How to make aioli

    Provençal Tian

    Saffron Ice Cream

    Rosemary sorbet

    Provençal style yogurt cake with quince

    Sweet Olive Oil bread from Provence -- Pompe a L’huile

    Poulet Basquaise

    Provençal Tomates

    Eggplant and Feta Timbale

    Salade Niçoise

    Mediterranean Olive and Sundried Tomato Cake

    Baba-Ghanoush

    About the Author

    Acknowledgments

    Addresses

    The ancient Greeks rubbed their bodies with this magic oil that their poet Homer called ‘liquid gold’.

    Introduction

    While the rest of the world is struggling with the flood of low quality olive oil, adulteration of extra virgin olive oil and rising prices, French producers are recognizing their Provencal heritage by developing their olive oil culture.

    France is not included amongst the top seven olive oil producers of the world; it simply does not produce enough olive oil to compete with giant producers such as Spain and Italy.

    Yet international oil experts recognize the extra virgin olive produced in France’s sunniest regions including the French island of Corsica as one of the best in the world.

    What makes them different than their counterparts in other countries? An Olive Oil tour of France examines olive oil production in this country with stories of growers and producers using both traditional and modern methods to create the pale green nectar. It shows what has been achieved over the years, what remains to be done, and gives an insight into the growing olive oil culture in France today.

    Since living in the South of France I found it natural to change my eating habits and to adopt a healthier lifestyle. This took me straight to the wonderful discovery of olive oil, and with that I met some fascinating people: growers and producers who speak with passion, drawing me into their olive oil world as they relate their different stories, olive oil tasting experts who patiently explained what to look for when you sip and slurp, cooks who have discovered healthy and tasty extra virgin and finally those involved in sharing their knowledge, teaching and promoting olive oil in France.

    It seemed right that it should all be documented, hence my decision to write An Olive Oil Tour of France.

    A brief history

    The Phoenicians, the great merchants of ancient times planted the first olive trees in Spain, France and Sicily around 800 BC, but it was the Romans who first recognized the richness of the soils and climate of the Provence region in France and how perfect this was for growing olives. They lost no time setting up plantations and mills for producing oils in the region, developing the industry wherever they settled so much so that the olive tree featured on many early Roman coins.

    France’s oldest city Marseille became a focal point for the industry, the place where much trading of oils, wine and spirits took place. The highly prized oil was soon being exported creating enormous wealth for the Romans. The Roman Empire eventually collapsed but the seed was sown. The thirst for olives was started, enthusiasm and love for olive cultivation burgeoned and large areas were set aside for the sacred olive tree. Today it has become a symbol of peace and longevity.

    In 1840, there were 26 million trees in France covering an area of 168,000 acres. France has around 4.3 million olive trees tended by some 29,000 olive farmers in the 20 regions where olive oil is produced (including Corsica). Unlike Spain and Italy, olive oil is produced mostly by small producers, mostly traditional olive growers who recognize the importance of maintaining their Provencal heritage, growers who strive for quality more than quantity. In other words, less is more for French olive oil producers.

    It hasn’t always been easy for the people of the South to farm olives. In 1956, they had to contend with devastating frosts which hit the normally robust olive trees of the South of France.

    Some owners resorted to a drastic solution – they decided to chop down the trees at the base. Mother Nature was kind; although it took time, the main branches known as the charpentières miraculously started growing again by 1980.

    Then in 2001, there was more bad weather, more frustration for growers. The temperatures dropped between – 3° and - 10° for several days resulting in a loss of 80 percent of the fruit. Discouraged, many planters replanted with grapes instead of olives.

    In the eighties, olive growing started in earnest due mostly to health experts talking about the benefits of a Mediterranean diet and the various subsidies offered by the Government. With this renewed interest, olive oil cultivation and exploitation took off once more.

    Olive cultivation

    Olive Oil culture in France is similar to the Provence region – rich with tradition and heritage. Like a fine wine, it provokes discussions amongst enthusiasts; they like to

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