History of Olive Oil
The use of olive oil spans millennia. The olive is mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey and appears many times in the Bible. Sophocles called the olive tree “the tree that feeds the children”. In the Olympic Games of ancient Greece, winning athletes were awarded a wreath made from a branch of the olive tree. Over time, the olive branch came to represent the human traits of nobility and goodness and, to this day, remains a symbol of peace.
How is Olive Oil Made?
True extra-virgin olive oils come from the first milling of recently harvested olives. The production process consists of four basic steps:
2grinding the olives into “paste”,
3mixing/stirring the paste (called “malaxing” in the industry), and
4separating the oil from water and solids.
The traditional milling process uses very large millstones to grind the olives until the resulting paste is at the desired level of fineness; the milling must be done by purely mechanical means. After grinding, the next step is to extract the oil from this paste. Malaxing the oil allows the oil droplets to combine into larger drops. Finally, the oil is separated from water and solids, typically through centrifugation, after which the oil is “racked” in tanks to complete the separation and then prepared for shipping.
Olive Oil Standards & Testing
There are several national and international organizations that establish and/or maintain standards for the olive oil industry. The organizations determine the various chemical and taste standards for olive oils, which are tested in independent labs.
Learn More: Olive Oil Standards & TestingHealth Benefits of Olive Oil
Various studies have shown olive oil to offer several health benefits. Health Benefits include healthy fats, antioxidants and no cholesterol as well as helping blood pressure and to control blood-sugar levels.
Learn More: Health Benefits of Olive Oil
Why Buy at Frescolio Rather than the Supermarket?
At Frescolio, we guarantee that our extra-virgin olive oils meet or surpass all the international standards, and we’ll be posting the test results alongside the products in our store.
Further Learning on Olive Oil
If you would like to learn more about olive oil and the olive oil industry, here are several websites you may find helpful.
