Olive Oil – From Greece To the World

 Olive oil is a staple in Greek culture and food. Greek food was constructed on olives and olive oil. Greece is home to more types of olives than any other country. From Kalamata to Peloponessos, no matter the variety, you can be sure you will be getting a different and exquisite experience each time you bite into a Greek olive.

                                           

From all these wonderful olives comes olive oil - an olive oil so wonderful, that the Italians actually used to buy it from the Greeks. Olive oil is used extensively in Greek cooking, and it is also wonderful to drizzle over salads, dip bread in, and use in stews.  

People eat more of the delicious oil in Greece than any country in the world - about 26 liters per person, every year. Just to compare, people in Italy and Spain eat an average of 14 liters a year per person.

Health Benefits of Greek Olive Oil

All of this olive oil is perhaps one reason that Greeks often remain so healthy - olive oil has a staggering amount of health benefits. Olive oil has a component that is called monounsaturated fatty acid, which can reduce your cholesterol. Antioxidants, flavonoids, polyphenols, and vitamin E also can help prevent heart disease, increase digestion, reduce inflammation and even help fight colon cancer. And, it tastes good too! It's no surprise that olive oil is such a popular ingredient in Greek food.

Olive Oil Has A Special Place in Greek Mythology

The goddess Athena planted the olive tree as a way to get in good with the people of Acropolis. Acropolis quickly became known as the birthplace of olive oil. While the Armenians and Egyptians were aware of the olive tree, the Greeks were the first to pioneer the full scale cultivation of the olive into olive oil, between the 7th and 3rd centuries BC.

According to mythology, the goddess Athena created the olive tree to grow up so that she could win the favor of the inhabitants of Acropolis. Hence, the Acropolis is always depicted with an ancient olive tree growing on it.

Olive Trees Are Revered In Greek Culture and Families

In many Orthodox religion, olives and olive oil were a symbol of peace and love. These were a part of many religious rites, such as baptism. Olive trees are planted when a child is born, as a symbol of something that will grow and develop like the child will. When children grow enough and start school at age seven,  the trees start producing olives.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – The Best Greece Has To Offer

There are many kinds of olive oil, used for different things. Extra virgin olive oil has always been known to be the best class of Greek olive oil. It is used on salads for dressing, for dipping bread into, and sometimes for simmering at low heat. It is made mechanically instead of being chemically created, and is known to have the best taste of any olive oil. When extra virgin olive oil is heated, it can lose its flavor and start to break apart, so it is not generally used in cooking. Extra virgin olive oil is the least acidic of any kind of olive oil.

Virgin olive oil has slightly more acidity, but still a tiny amount; and is still thought to have a good taste. Olive oil is refined and usually chemical extracted from the olives. This is the form of olive oil usually used in cooking.

Different olives create different flavors in olive oils, and most Greeks have their favorites. No matter what type of olive oil you choose, though, you can't go wrong. Olive oil lends a delicious and polished taste to almost any dish. Greek food would not be Greek.

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