10 Apr

Port Lincoln, South Australia: Record olive harvest expected

The region’s olive trees are bursting with fruit this year, after a low yield in 2007 due to drought. The olive industry is looking up for Eyre Peninsula, with a record amount of olives, according to olive press operator and olive grower Peter Green. Mr Green started harvesting his olives with the mechanical harvester he […]

08 Mar

what does ‘extra-virgin’ really mean?

Bee Wilson looks into the murky world of olive oil. ‘Extra-virgin’ suggests great purity. It sounds even better in Italy, land of superlatives and Madonnas: extravergine. It rolls off the tongue like a prayer. So it’s a shame that much Italian extra-virgin olive oil – perfect oil from the first pressing of olives – is […]

31 Aug

Dipping bread into olive oil with red pepper flakes and thyme is a great tradition in Turkish culinary culture

It is said that there are two trees in Paradise: The fig and olive. The olive is the “Tree of Life.” The olive is no doubt an “immortal tree” that is eternalized in symbols, myths, legends, poems, novels and paintings. It is a symbol of holiness, plenty, justice, health, pride, victory, prosperity, wisdom, intelligence, purity […]

23 Aug

What to look for in olive oil

Olive oil is different from other cooking oils in many ways. The most important differences to consumers and cooks are its heart-healthy properties and its taste. Unlike vegetable oils, it has one. It can be evaluated like wine, especially extra-virgin olive oil that comes from the first pressing of olives grown in one grove or […]

07 Aug

Olive oil facts

All olive oils have 14 grams of fat per tablespoon. Spain is the world’s largest producer of olive oil. Extra-virgin olive oil, the highest class of olive oils, is from the first pressing of the olive. It never comes into contact with chemicals or heat and is less than 1 percent acid. It has the […]