The Olive Tree’s Origin
The olive tree’s origin, in its primitive form, dates back to the Tertiary Age - before the birth of mankind - and is placed in Lesser Asia, perhaps in the Syria or Palestine, having been found in all the Mediterranean leaves of fossilized Olive trees, dated of the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods. One thinks that the Olea Europaea resulted of a crossing of several species.At three thousand years before Christ the Olive tree was already cultivated in the entire “increasing fertile”. The responsible ones for its dispersion in the MediterraneanEurope will have been the Greeks. Later, in the maritime expeditions, the Portuguese and the Spanish had carried the Olive tree to America.
The Olive tree’s characteristics
The Olive tree is a tree of average proportions, very resistant, with roots that can reach the 6 meters, and there are known about 400 species. It has slow growth and normally onlyenters in production from the fifth year.
The Olive oil and the present
Used since immemorial times as a gastronomic ingredient, the oliveoil was currently “rediscovered”, having itself became into one of theprincipal ingredients of the modern and healthful kitchen.
The Olive oil in Portugal
The Olive oil was always present in the hiding places of the daily life of the Portuguese: in the oil-lamp of the poor and the candelabrum of the rich one, in the thrifty table of the peasant and in the solemn temples of old cults.
The Olive oil and the Mediterranean diet
What it is the Olive oil?
The Olive oil is a fat essentially monounsaturated, rich in vitamin E and other natural antirust substances, synthesizedbiologically in the olives as reserve substance, contributing to assure the reproduction of the specie. It is extracted of the olive onlyby mechanical and physical processes that in conditions, essentially athermic, do not lead to its alteration.
How is produced the Olive oil?
The method of production of the Olive oil includes a series of stages that go since olives caught to its storage, passing through a series of processes that allow its attainment and assure its quality.
The quality of the Olive oil
The Quality of the Oil goes to be determined by the region, the variety and theolives’ maturation stage, the sanitary state of the fruits, the process of extraction, the way of conservation and the age of the olive oil.
Classification of Olive oils
According to the characteristics present (organoléptica punctuation, free acidity and application), the olive oil can be classified in diverse types of oil: extra virgin oil that can be classified in virgin oil, current oil and lampante oil; and still,refine oil and only olive oil, when refine and enriched with virgin oil.
The Olive oil and the health
Beyond its benefits in the beauty area, the olive oil possess characteristics that help to diminish the risk of hart attack, helps to fight diabetes, assists the digestion, prevents the formation of calculus (rocks) and has preventive effect in some types of cancer.
The Olive oil in the kitchen
The olive oil gives flavour, aroma and colour, integrates the food, personalizes and identifies a meal. It supports very well high temperatures, with out modifying its own structure, despite other fats do it, what allows all forms of cooking. It creates a crust in the surface of fry’sfoods, whichdo not allow the penetration ofolive oil to its own interior. With olive oil one can obtain drier and desirable fries.
The oils virgin extra have softer flavour and therefore they are ideal to temper, to use in sweets and desserts. The olive oils with intense flavour are more appropriate to intensify the flavour of cod dishes, fish-stews, squabbles, panadas, etc...
The biological Olive oil
The olive oil can also be produced by biological processes, even so in lesser amounts and at higher prices. Nevertheless this kind of oil has a lot of advantages, once it’s not used any kind of chemical products.
How to conserve the Olive oil
The olive oil must be kept in containers of glass, preference dark, or in containers made of tin plate or steel inox. It must be remained in a cool place, without light and far from products with intense smells to prevent that olive oil absorbs them.
Conserve your olive oil well!