olive
The evergreen olive tree and its fruit have long been valued. Cultivated since ancient times, olive trees are believed to be among the oldest trees known in Europe. The olive branch is regarded as a symbol of peace.
Olives were grown on the Greek island of Crete as far back as 3500 BC. By about 600 BC they were an important crop for the Romans. Later olives were grown in all the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. In the late 20th century Spain, Italy, and Greece were the world leaders in the commercial cultivation of olive trees. Other major olive-producing countries are Turkey, Tunisia, Morocco, Syria, and Portugal. Olive trees are grown in South America, the United States, Australia, and South Africa.
The common olive tree is a broad-leaved tree that ranges in height from 10 to 40 feet (3 to 12 meters) or more. It has numerous branches, and the leaves are dark green above and silvery on the underside. The leaves grow opposite each other on the twig. The beauty of the olive tree's silvery green foliage and twisted trunk has been admired for thousands of years.
Olive trees bloom in late spring. The small, whitish flowers hang in loose clusters and develop into fruits that are handpicked or shaken from the tree. Inside the olive is a stone, which holds one or two seeds. Olive trees do not always bear fruit every year. The trees may produce a heavy crop one year and nothing the next year.
There are many varieties of the two types of olives—table and oil. In California, olives such as the Mission variety are grown almost exclusively for table use. In Europe, olives such as the Picual, Nevadillo, and Morcal are grown mostly for the oil they contain.
Fresh, unprocessed olives cannot be eaten because they are very bitter. Once the fruit is processed with treatments of diluted alkali and salt, it may be eaten either ripe or green. Olive oil is one of the most widely used vegetable oils. The olive fruit and its oil are especially important to the cuisine of the Mediterranean region.
