The production of olive oil around the world - How to achieve sustainable food production for increased profit and well-being

Source: BBC Good Food / https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/olive-oil-glossary

What is olive oil?

Probably the most widely-used oil in cooking, olive oil is pressed from fresh olives. It’s mainly made in the Mediterranean, primarily in Italy, Spain and Greece (though countries such as America and Australia also produce it). Much like wine-making, climate, soil and the way the olives are harvested and pressed all have an impact on an oil’s character.

Olive oil is assessed on three criteria – fruitiness, bitterness and pepperiness. The flavour, smell and colour can vary radically, both according to its origin, as well as whether it’s extra virgin (the finest grade) or not.

Generally speaking, the hotter the country, the more robust the flavour of the oil. It is also possible to flavour olive oil with herbs and spices by steeping them in the oil for ten days or so (though chilli needs far less time).

The process of making olive oil. The differences between the traditional and modern method are also shown – from harvesting to grinding to extracting.

How to prepare olive oil

Olive oil is ready to cook with. If you have flavoured olive oil with any herbs and spices, these should be strained out – pour the strained olive oil into a clean bottle before you use it.

How to store olive oil

Olive oil deteriorates when exposed to direct sunlight, so keep it in an airtight bottle in a cool, dark place, like a kitchen cupboard, rather than sitting out on a worktop or window sill. Olive oil does not improve with age, and is best consumed within a year of bottling.

Availability of olive oil

All year round.

Choose the best olive oil

Extra virgin oil is the most expensive type, and is made from the first cold pressing of the olives. It has a very low acidity rate (under 1%) and is best used for dipping or to dress salads, both because its superior flavour is impaired by heat and because it has a low smoking point.

Virgin olive oil is also a first pressing, but has a slightly higher acidity level (under 2%). It should be used in much the same way as extra virgin, and can also be used to cook Mediterranean dishes to create an authentic flavour (but should not be used for deep frying).

Refined to remove its impurities, and blended to improve flavour, pure olive oil is the cheapest olive oil there is. Its flavour is quite bland, so it’s not worth using it on salads, but it’s a good all-purpose cooking oil (again, don’t deep fry with it).

Oils from Spain tend to be smooth, sweet and fruity, with hints of melon and nuts and very faint bitterness – they’re quite versatile.

The flavour of Italian oils varies from region to region. The north produces oils that are mild, slightly nutty, and very good with fish. Oils from the centre of the country are stronger-tasting, with grassy notes. Southern Italy, including Sicily, produces oils that have a drier, more herbal flavour.

Greek olive oils are herby, fruity and sometimes peppery – good all-rounders.

2,474 Extra Virgin Olive Oil Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images

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Videos

Greece

Stavros Ladeas. My brother and I visited an olive oil press in the small town of Xavari, my father’s hometown here in western Peloponnesos. The Maritsas family gave us a tour of their new facility as they were making a fresh batch of olive oil, and we got to record the process.

Italy

Bon Appétit’s Brad Leone is back for episode 45 of “It’s Alive,” and this time he traveled to Tuscany, Italy to make olive oil with Lucini Italia. Watch Brad learn the process from harvesting to bottling of producing extra virgin olive oil.

This film takes viewers through the entire Olive Oil Mill operation. Manufactured in Italy, this state-of-the-art mill produces Bari’s line of gourmet extra virgin olive oils

Israel

Nazareth Village – olive oil pressing explanation and demonstration

Jordan

Al Toor it s one of the biggest producer of olive oil from Jordan . In the heart of the holy land , where history and religions harmonized , Al Toor was named after a beautiful mountain rich with olive trees . The healths benefits of olive oil are tremendous and range from promoting your heart health to preventing cancer . Olive oil it s rich in antioxidant substances able to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases . Al Toor has a golden participation in different quality contests that emphasizes the hight characteristics of the olive oil of Jordan . www.facebook.com/Al Toor For Olive Al Toor -tel: + 96265662111 fax: +96265662112 P.O.Box 921409 Amman 11192 Jordan

Lebanon

Kfarsghab is a village located in the Zgharta District in the North Governorate of Lebanon. It is situated in the Valley of Qadisha, which is considered a holy and spiritual place in Eastern Christianity The main religion of its residents is Maronite Catholicism

Video in Lebanese only!

Morocco

See the olives on the Olive trees and how the oils is extracted from the olive fruit. Freshly extracted olive oils smells and tastes like nothing in the world. No matter how expensive olive oil you buy from the market but the aroma, the taste and the flavor of the freshly extracted olive oil is just incomparable.
We visited the olive gardens in Morocco near city of Meknes in the Zarhoon valley on the way to Mulay Idris Town. The scenery was so absorbing, lush green olive gardens, green rolling hills and cool breeze. This is the kind of place you expect in Europe or certain Asian countries not near Sahara dessert in Africa. Lets watch this rather short but very interesting and informative video.

Olives are one of Morocco’s many riches. And the ritual of the olive harvest remains pretty much unchanged for centuries. Villagers, armed with long sticks to tap the olives out of the trees and donkeys to carry the load, set off before sunrise and work until sunset. The olives are then taken to Bhalil’s press to be turned into oil.

New Zealand

Pressing the crushed olive paste to make extra virgin olive oil. The olive oil produced has a Free Fatty Acid of less than 0.2% making it within the top 1% of the very best extra virgin olive oils in the world

Palestine

In praise of real Palestinian Olive Oil as shown on Channel 4’s “What’s in your basket”

Olive trees are a symbol of Palestinian identity and heritage, covering more than half of its land and producing some of the world’s best olive oil. Here’s the whole story, from the farmers harvesting the olives, to the factories pressing it.

Maybe you also love good olive oil when cooking, but do you know the heart and the hard work behind the “green gold“?
Meet Naela Awwad and her olive trees in this short film, then maybe you will appreciate even more the divine Palestinian olive oil. Today is World Olive Day (16 January). Below, in comments, you can find some more facts behind the yearly production of almost 25 million liters of Palestinian olive oil.
PS: Listen to Canaan Ghoul’s music in the film, then maybe, also, you will appreciate even more the gentle sound of the old oud.

Portugal

Spain (Andalusia)

Turkey

USA (California)

Other

Olive Oil Lovers began in 2012 with a love, a passion – perhaps even an obsession – with olive oil. Today, we are the bridge between thousands of consumers and the world’s best olive oil producers.

After living-in and traveling around the Mediterranean basin and partaking in the wonderful cuisines of the regions, each using copious amounts of locally-produced extra virgin olive oil, we realized there was a huge deficit for quality olive oil in the United States.