Of all the items one can closely associate with Western civilisation, an olive (the tree, the fruit, or any derivative of it) probably does not rate very high on the list; though, maybe it should. Olive was used as a sign to Noah indicating the end of the flood. Though, parting with legend, it was not first gifted to Athens by Athena, the ancient Greeks as well as the Romans used all aspects of the olive tree and fruit extensively. Aside from the wonders and riches discovered in King Tutankhamun’s tomb, there were leafy olive branches. Perhaps it is time that we rethink this plant beyond providing cooking oil and a topping for our pizza, and there is no better place to start than with the word itself.
The English word “olive” comes to us, via Old French, from the Latin oliva (meaning the tree and fruit) and oleum (meaning the oil). The Romans, in turn, borrowed the word from the ancient Greeks.
Though, in many languages, the word “oil” is based on words for olive tree and fruit, the tree and its products have also attained a meaning beyond words. If one wishes to make peace with another, it is termed “extending the olive branch.” For those who excel as athletes, especially in the Olympics, it was long customary to crown them with wreaths made of olive branches. Growing in rocky soil where few other crops will grow, olives have also long been a sign of fertility. Finally, in many Western religious ceremonies, from ancient times to the present day, the customary oil used for anointing, burning, or a s symbol of purity has been olive oil.
While history and symbolism are important, let us not forget the obvious: olives are pretty tasty. Interestingly, while they are excellent after being cured and fermented, fresh-picked olives are quite bitter and inedible due to the high amount of oleuropein, which processing them removes. At 9.6 million hectares, current olive cultivation occupies more land than any other crop, aside from coconut trees and oil palms; however, rather unsurprisingly, the 10 largest producers are all Mediterranean countries. In case you were wondering, the typical olive tree can produce approximately 1.5-2.2 kg of oil annually.
The first known use of the word olive in English refers strictly to the tree and comes from a collection titled Old English Homilies of the Twelfth Century, edited by Richard Morris, which, from the New Testament, states that, “they went out to meet him with blossoms of palm-twigs and olive-boughs.” Taking longer than one would anticipate, it would be another 150 years before the olive fruit, and indeed the oil itself, was first mentioned in the 1381 culinary guide, Curye on Inglysch (Cooking in English). We owe a great deal to the olive and the products it provides, even if we can not always put it into words.
