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The Epic Tale of Olive OilBy Lisa Turner
In 1500 BC, along the rocky countryside of ancient Greece, theregrew a sturdy tree that bore rich and fragrant fruit. Herculean in itsresistance, legendary in its ability to survive, the olive tree withstooddrought, cruel heat, rocky soil and climactic whims with a sturdinessthat rendered it eternal. Its origins are as legendary and immortal asits resistance: mythology says the goddess Athena, in a fiercecompetition with the god Poseidon to be the patron deity of the then-unnamed Athens, presented to the city the first olive tree. The city’sking, Cecrops, accepted the olive tree, which would later bring Athenswood, oil, food and prominence in the Mediterranean basin.Surrounded as it was with such power and legend, the olive treebecame a virtual mascot of Hellenic society. Cloaked as it was in thesacred and eternal, to cut one down was a crime punishable by death.As trees propagated and covered the fertile crescent of theMediterranean, the same myth and sacredness were bestowed on theoil from the olive fruit. After it was discovered that pressing the fruitfrom the tree yielded a rich, fragrant oil, the Greeks had a viablemethod of preserving the flavor and aroma of the delicate fruit in liquidform, and olive oil quickly became equally legendary in its uses andappeal. It was infused with aromatic grasses and herbs, scented withprecious fragrances, rubbed on the body to confer strength, youth and
healing, and treasured as a currency for trade.Not to be outdone by the Greeks, Roman rulers soon ordered thecultivation of olive trees, and Italy enjoyed a robust olive oil trade bythe first century A.D. Not surprisingly, it was in Italy that the trueculinary promise of olive oil was realized. Early Romans are creditedwith first using the oil as a condiment, drizzling it over roasted game,lentils cooked with leeks and coriander, tuna cooked with shallots andmint, or a mixture of herbs, arugula, fresh salted cheese and pepperedvinegar. Early Romans also realized the health benefits of olive oil, andit is said they used it to counteract poisons, heal wounds, and treatstomach and digestive problems.Many years later—that is to say, now—modern researchersvalidated some of these early uses, along with a heroic list of others:olive oil is famed for protecting the heart, reducing the risk of cancer,lessening symptoms of arthritis and controlling blood sugar. Mostrecently, one study showed that olive oil helps treat bacterial infectionsthat cause gastritis and ulcers—proof that there often exists sometruth in mythology.With these modern health realizations, the legend of the olivecontinues.Once its medicinal benefits became widespread knowledge, wecommon folk were drawn to more subtle aesthetic considerations,including flavor, aroma and color. These vary widely, depending on
many factors, including the type of olive used and its maturity, theregion in which its grown and the finesse with which it’s processed.Olives contain oil just after they’ve turned a light-green hue; the oilcontent increases as they ripen. Truly remarkable oils come from olivesthat have been grown under superlative conditions and harvested at just the right stage of ripeness and maturity. Early-harvest oils, whenthe olives are still green, have a peppery, astringent quality thataficionados describve as grassy, green, bitter or leafy. These oils arealso higher in polyphenols and antioxidants, those healthy compoundswe all seek. Later harvest oils, when the fruit is black and fully ripe,have a lighter, fruity, almost sweet flavor, and may be described ashave notes of apple, melon, floral or peach.Once harvested, olives are immediately transferred to a mill,where they’re washed and crushed into a paste, which is pressed torelease the oils. The first pressing releases a superlative oil of lowacidity; this is the “extra-virgin” variety. (The term “cold-pressed” issomewhat superfluous; since olive oils are made after the harvest, inthe winter months when it’s relatively cold, the olive paste is routinelywarmed to room temperature before pressing. Heating the paste wouldyield a bit more oil, but producers realize this tiny gain isn’t worth thesacrifice in flavor.)Based on these factors, olive oils may have hundreds of subtlenuances in flavor—almond, grassy, herbal, woody, floral and many
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