For thousands of years now, the inhabitants of
the Mediterranean countries have cultivated the olive tree and used its for
their daily needs. Olives and oil were consumed, the leaves and oil had
therapeutic powers and were also used as incense
Olive oil is believed to be responsible for
the good health and longevity of the people who consume it. Medical
studies conducted in Europe and the US show that this natural product is the key
to good health and vitality and helps keep the heart strong. There is
currently a project in run by the European union called the
Eurolive project, which was set up
to assess the beneficial effects of olive oil on human health. It is
focused on examining the importance of the phenolic compounds of olive oil on
oxidative stress and oxidative damage in humans. It is is aimed at
providing information to the European Consumers, and to the Olive Oil Industry,
about the cost/benefit ratio of the different olive oils on the market.
The types of olive oil that are currently on the market in are Pomace, Common,
and Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
The Olive is a plant that has fascinated
people throughout history. In the book of Genesis Moses speaks of this
tree that was said to grow on Mount Ararat and Noah was brought an olive branch
by the dove. Records show that the Egyptians cultivated the olive in the
seventeenth century BC. On the islands of the Aegean, Santorini and Nisyos,
fossilized olive tree leaves aged fifty to sixty thousands years old were
discovered! Experts of Palaeobotany believe that what was discovered were leaves
of cultivated olive trees.
It is widely believed that the origin of the
Olive (Olea europaea) is believed to have come from the region of Iran and the
coast of Syria and Palestine, other opinions are that it originated around the
north shore of the Black Sea. According to Greek Mythology Hercules
is said to have carried some branches of the tree to Greece on his travels from
the region. The olive tree and the products were known to the Cretans
about 3500 BC. In Homeric times 900 BC the oil of olives was regarded as a
luxury and was used to anoint the body. Whilst in the classical Roman times,
preserved olives and oil were highly sought and regarded as a very desirable
asset because they could be preserved and transported easily.
The introduction of olive trees in Cyprus can
be traced back to Neolithic times. The fruits of the wild olive tree were
used as a food from the Neolithic period (6000-3000 BC) in Cyprus, while
abundant archaeological and botanical evidence shows that the olive tree started
being intensively cultivated on the island from the Late Bronze Age.
The olive tree and its produce have for
centuries played a significant role in the nutrition, economy, religious
ceremonies, habits and customs of the Cypriots. According to Ancient Greek and
Roman writings, the olive tree along with the Carob tree and the vine tree, were
the main characteristic of the Rural Areas in the Eastern Mediterranean basin.
The trade in Olive oil in ancient Cyprus was linked to the Sanctuary of the
Goddess Dianna and Hera. According to Strabo Cyprus was rich in Olive oil
and wine. Areas of production in olden times are still considered important
today.
A major expansion of olive cultivation
occurred in the 1930's. Between 1946 and 1958 olive trees increased by 40% and
since 1953 the olive tree has become the most numerous non-forest tree in
Cyprus. To-day olive tree is grown in compact groves or, more often, mixed
with other crops such as fruit trees, carobs and cereals. It is also found
scattered on uncultivated land, steep slopes, rocky ground, or in residential
areas.
In the Christian religion, olive oil is one of
the three blessed products, Wine, wheat and Olive Oil. Bread
supports and strengthens the heart, wine lightens the spirit and the oil relaxes
the body.
The extraction of Olive oil requires a series
of operations. After harvesting, the olives are selected, cleaned and
crushed in special oil mills, where they are reduced to an oily paste.
Traditionally the paste was collected in folded cloths made of reeds and then
subjected to pressing but nowadays the process is all done by a special machine
press. The olives are put in at one end of the process and the oil comes
out at the other
.
Traditionally in Cyprus, Olive oil was stored
in large earthenware pots called "pitharia", which can still be seen in gardens
all over Cyprus and now used as decoration. The olive paste was collected,
stored in the reed cloths or pockets and stacked into the olive press which then
pushed the mats down and produced the oil which went directly into the "pithari".
The different methods of oil pressing will be
covered later on.
The first pressing produces the "virgin" olive
oil, which is the most prized. The residual pulp is subjected to further
pressings at higher pressures and yields oil of second and sometimes, third
pressing. The various grades of oil are classified on the basis of the
percentage of acidity expressed in oleic acid which goes from a minimum of 1% to
a maximum of 4%. In practice the different grades go from "extra virgin
olive oil" to "superfine virgin olive oil" to "fine virgin olive oil" to simply
"virgin olive oil". Inferior oils are "olive oil" and "husk and olive
oil".
If you visit
Kontoyiannis House
in the winter months, you may get the chance to pick olive from our orchard.
In fruitful years it has been known for us to pick olives and go to the press at
three different times. Olives ripen at different times and its best to pick them
when they are ripe, otherwise the oil will be inferior. If you leave them
on the tree too long with will just fall off the tree and then its not so easy
to gather them, particularly if its a rainy winter. One year we picked
them all and left them in the fields till we collected the whole lot but when we
processed the oil it was not very good at all, so we are learning!
We invite our guest to come stay in the house
during the winter months, help us pick our olives and come with us to the olive
press. Nowadays, the pressing of olives is an easy matter. Just take the
olives to the olive mill put them into the chute and they come out the other end
as olive oil. Its all done in one go. Usually we only take the first
pressing which is the virgin olive oil. Its a tradition to take some of
this oil and have it on toast which have been prepared in the cafeteria of the
olive mill. You just pour the fresh olive oil over hot toast and add salt
and lemon juice to taste. Personally, I prefer mine without lemon.
We will be adding photos to this page very
soon! Its just that we are usually so busy picking the olives that we
forget to take photos of it but this year I will be taking my camera along to
the olive mill as well, so watch this space...........
Olive picking is one of my favourite pastimes
and not to be missed if I can help it! The trees are so beautiful and have a
life and character of their own. If you get the chance to pick olives
don't miss it!
If you would like some recipes with olives or
olive oil, then why not go to our Traditional Cyprus Recipe section on
olives, oil etc. If you have any
questions on olives or oil production in Cyprus, just drop
us a line and we will see if
we can help.
For more specialist advice, The
Cyprus Olive
Products Marketing Board is responsible for marketing Cyprus olive products.
They can be found in Latsia, Nicosia, tel: 22483266.
