Olive oil history Olive oil is the liquid gold of
Provence. The olive oil history is spread over the
ancient, medieval and modern era of the world, especially
in the Mediterranean region. Its importance was
unquestionable in the antediluvian Greek and Roman
civilizations. For Homer olive oil was the "liquid gold".
According to Sophocles, olive tree was "the tree that
feeds the children". The olive tree primarily appeared in
the eastern Mediterranean but Greeks were the initial
cultivators. Ever since, the popularity of the trees
extended to the other modern European areas. Olive oil
production held a leading position in the economy of the
Cretan Minoan and the Mycenaean societies.
During that eon, the oil was produced by treating the
olives in a specific manner and was stored in the
earthenware jars and amphorae.
With the advent of time and technological advancements, the olive oil process changed significantly. These days the companies employ finest methods for olive oil production. The handpicked premium olives are garnered at the correct stage of maturity. These olives are not allowed to touch the ground due to fear of contamination. Moreover, the olives begin to degrade after being separated from the tree because of the active enzymes that disintegrate the endogenous oil. Thus they are immediately sent for processing. It is essential that during olive oil making, oxygen does not penetrate the process or consequently the resulting olive oil will have high acidity levels. Finally the olive oil is kept in air tight containers in cool places devoid of light. It was during the second half of the eighteenth century that the reformers and entrepreneurs of different parts of the Mediterranean Europe geared towards invigorating the economies of their countries. These reformers were against the sophisticated stagnation of the Mediterranean world which had become a phenomenon. This was mostly carried by the technology transfers and olive oil production was focused. By the end of the eighteenth century a huge international market for olive oil was developed and France became one of the main olive oil producing countries. Making olive oil became a trend even with the small-time French farmers. Olive oil is certainly very good and I enjoy cooking with it.The 6,000 year history of olive oil shows that it is the best and most healthy substitute for other fats. Used plain, it enhances the taste of the food it is added to; with flavors, it becomes an aromatic additive. Beauty is preserved with it and health improves with it. Doctors swear by it and we all are falling in love with it.
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