A picture of olive farm
background and history of olives.
In case you don’t know, olives are fruits, just like peaches, mangoes and cherries! The olive tree is known as Olea europaea, meaning “European olive”. It was first cultivated in Mediterranean civilizations some 6000 years ago and is thought to have originated in the Africa and Asia minor region which is today’s Syria and Palestine.
Olive trees were considered very important during Roman times. They were distributed throughout the Mediterranean region by the Romans and the Arabs. More recently, in the 18-19th centuries they were introduced into South and NorthAmerica, Australia, South Africa and, and during the last 30 years, into China. (olivemypickle n.d.)
Today about 97% of the world supply of olives is produced in Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Turkey. In these regions, moderate temperatures needed for olive production are there. (CABI n.d.)
Symbolic meaning
Olive trees have historic significance as it was referenced in Christian, Roman, and Greek mythology. ‘The tree of life’ referenced in the garden of Eden was an olive tree. Olive oil had special significance and was considered as holy as water and wind. It also symbolized glory and joy. Olive fascinated many artists as well. Here is famous olive picking painting by the famous painter Vincent Van Gogh
Women Picking Olives (1889) by Vincent Van Gogh. Original from the MET Museum
The olive tree branch is depicted as a symbol of peace and friendship dating back to ancient Greek mythology. Do you know olive branches are featured on the seal of the United States of America? It shows America stands for peace.
Olive usage in food and medicine
This is my favorite topic. Olives are used in various parts of cooking in different countries and cultures. When I asked my parents about their memories of having olives in their parent’s kitchen – I was surprised to find that my parents have not even heard or seen it growing in India. Globalization has truly changed that now, but that explains why olives and olive oil are predominantly featured in European especially Spanish and Italian cooking and Mediterranean dishes due to growing of these trees in those regions.
I must admit that because I am vegetarian, my diet restricts the use of olives in many dishes, but my favorite olive based dish is – you guessed it right – pizza with abundant olive toppings. In fact, I refuse to eat any pizza without olive toppings on it (with the exception of cheese pizza). Also due to the super health properties of olive oil, it is now incorporated in cuisines around the world, including Indian curries – which traditionally were never cooked in Olive oil.
Medical News Today says Olive oil is rich in antioxidants which are reported to help you reduce inflammation in the body. It contains monounsaturated fatty acid, which is actually healthy compared to other fatty foods. Olives are an excellent source of Vitamin E as well.
According to D Ağagündüz that olive leaves have healing properties and are used in herbal medicines in the Mediterranean region
Olives with olive oil
Sustainability of olive farming
As H Mairech et al report Olive farming is subjected to the same sustainable practices and challenges as other crop in the Mediterranean or other regions having dry soil. Soil erosion is a key concern in olive farming as the tree’s roots are not deep. Also, rising water consumption and use of chemicals and pesticides is on top of the list. A study shows that water needs and carbon sequestration can be achieved by better farming practices.
Per American Chemical Society, a lot of water is used to take away the bitterness of olives and make them ready for eating. The bitterness is due to a chemical that needs to be washed several times. To create more sustainable farming, I came across this research which claims to provide a type of resin to reduce this toxin instead of water.
According to Healable, Similarly, olive oil production is subjected to high water footprint. It takes 14,431 liters of water to produce 1kg of extra virgin olive oil.
Olive tree is an evergreen tree. But olive farming is tedious process. Olive harvesting, and picking goes through the same challenges as labor availability, preservation of the crop and transportation and logistics. In terms of soil, it required well drained soil, having prepared at the depth of at least 80 cms. Farmers are implementing more technology to make olive farming more sustainable, like better irrigation and methods of retaining more moisture.
Olive oil can be equally effective from both black and green olives
I was glad to see that a lot of research is being done to find out more sustainable practices for olive production and to make it more environment friendly.
Olive recipe – the question is green or black?
I must admit that my recipe for olives is no-brainer pizza topping. But, certain procedures must be followed to make it perfect along with a combination of other ingredients.
First question is which olives to use – green olives or black olives. Nutritionally, there is no difference. Green olives are just not exposed to air as much and retain that bitter taste. So I will say, it is your choice. Personally, I like black olives. Here is my very own personal recipe that my mom and I make when we need something quick
- Make pizza dough crust at home using Betty Crocker pizza crust. Trust me, this is important to get homemade pizza taste and it’s very easy https://www.bettycrocker.com/products/betty-crocker-pizza-mix/betty-crocker-pizza-crust-mix
- Spread olive oil and pesto sauce on the crust
- Add pizza sauce and cheese
- Now the key part – the toppings. Black olives, Jalapenos and pineapple. If you like, add onions. These are the best topping combination with olives.
- Heat in oven at 425 degrees for 15 mins
- Serve hot yummy olive pizza!
My own pizza recipe with black olives
Blog post by Varada Gujarathi
Bibliography
olivemypickle (n.d.) 9 Amazing Attributes of Olive Trees that will Humble and Inspire You https://www.olivemypickle.com/blogs/news/9-amazing-attributes-of-olive-trees-that-will-humble-and-inspire-you
CABI (n.d.) Olea europaea subsp. europaea (European olive) https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/37336#tosummaryOfInvasiveness
Medical News Today. What are the health benefits of olive oil https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266258#:~:text=It%20is%20rich%20in%20antioxidants,of%20health%20conditions%20and%20diseases.
H Mairech (2020 May) Is new olive farming sustainable? A spatial comparison of productive and environmental performances between traditional and new olive orchards with the model OliveCan. Agricultural Systems. Volume 181, 102816. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308521X19310650?via%3Dihub
American Chemical Society. (2019, January 30). A ‘greener’ way to take the bitterness out of olives. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 15, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190130105950.htm
D Ağagündüz Olive Leaf (Olea europaea L. folium): Potential Effects on Glycemia and Lipidemia. Ann Nutr Metalab 2020; 76:10-15 https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/505508
Healable (n.d.) What is Olive Oil good for? What is olive oil bad for? https://healabel.com/o-ingredients/olive-oil. With additional reference in New estimates of the environmental cost of food. Oxford University study 2018 https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2018-06-01-new-estimates-environmental-cost-food