Olive Oil Tour, experience the taste of Andalucía

 

“This is the sea that awaits for you in my land”

 

It was a real crush, and since then, extra virgin olive oil, and olives, have been part of my daily life.

 

Many years ago I fell in love with olive trees through a postcard sent to me by my boyfriend.

 

I could not believe the immensity of the olive groves.

 

In fact, I have learned to love everything related to this precious juice.

 

Its sowing, care, harvesting, extraction and, of course, the delicious taste that makes any dish even more special.

 

It  must be said that,  before I saw that postcard, I had never been curious about the origin of olive oil. 

 

Nevertheless, as time went by, I became more and more interested in the secrets of its production and  the benefits for our health. 

 

For years I have visited the fields several times and the oil mill.

 

I also had the opportunity to witness “el barreado”,  the traditional harvest consisting of  hitting the Olive tree with a long stick to make the  fruit fall so it can be picked.   

 

Curious, isn’t it?. 

 

Keep on reading and you will learn many peculiar facts that will make you love Olive Oil at first glance.

Olive Oil, the origin

Olive Oil is extracted from the freshly ripened olives of the Olive tree, Olea Europaea.  

 

Olea, from the Latin “oleum” means oil, and Europaea refers to its origin, Europe.

 

The olive tree comes originally from the southern Caucasus to the actual Syria, and its cultivation spread widely to Cyprus, Egypt and the entire Mediterranean coast.

 

It arrived in the Iberian Peninsula with the Phoenicians, around 11th Century BC.

 

Nevertheless, the production was not developed until the Roman empire.

 

Around the 45 BC. in Baetica, the Roman province which is today’s Andalucia, became one of the largest  exporters to Rome, Britannia and Germania. 

 

Afterwards, the Arabs introduced their own varieties of olive into southern Spain, and continued to improve its production with more sophisticated cultivating techniques. 

 

Moorish influence becomes evident when considering that aceite, the Spanish for oil, comes from the Arab al-zayt, meaning olive juice.

 

In Arabic gastronomy olive oil is used for most dishes, so, after the expulsion of the Moors from Spain it was replaced by lard.

 

Afortunately, nowadays, olive oil is one of the main ingredients of the Mediterranean diet, which is considered one of the healthiest in the World.

 

“Olive oil is surely the richest gift from heaven“ Thomas Jefferson

Olive Oil, the myth

Olive oil is the oldest edible oil and nowadays we associate it with Mediterranean cuisine.

 

However, for centuries, the legendary olive tree, and its juice, were considered meaningful symbols and maintained a close relationship between profanity and divinity.

 

The Olive tree in Greek mythology

 

Greeks revered it as a mystic tree that, according to their mythology, arose as a result of a competition between Athena, the goddess of wisdom, and Poseidon, the god of the seas. 

 

They competed to offer the most valuable gift to mankind and the winner would become the protector of the new city of Attica.

 

Poseidon offered a brave war horse and Athena an olive tree.

 

The olive tree, whose fruit nourished and its oil could be used as food, medicine  and fuel, was considered by the citizens to be the most useful gift.

 

Therefore the city was named after Athena goddess, Athens.

 

If you have the opportunity to visit the Acropolis you will find the mythic Olive tree standing in front of the Erechtheion temple.

 

 It is also believed that the Greek gods were born under its branches.

 

According to legend, Hercules, the Olympic games founder, planted a sacred olive tree, named “Elaia Kallistephanos”, that means: the one that makes beautiful crowns.

 

Athletes anointed themselves with its oil before the Olympic games and winners  received a wreath of olive branches from this special olive tree.

 

During the Games, hostilities ceased and athletes from all over Greece participated in the competition.

 

The Olympic Games not only promoted the athletic spirit but also all the beautiful, great and truly meaningful things that peace brings.

 

The olive branch became a symbol of rapprochement of people and ideas and still nowadays conveys a universal message of Peace.

 

The Olive tree in the Bible  

 

“And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth” Genesis 8:11

 

In the Bible Olive oil is placed besides water, wine and bread, as one of the most meaningful symbols for Christianity.

 

When Jesus got to Jerusalem, he was received with olive branches, as they were considered symbols of victory.

 

This tradition is still commemorated during Palm Sundays, just before Easter, when Christians celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.

 

Near the old city of Jerusalem, at the base of the Mount of Olives, you can find  the garden of Gethsemane, oil press in Aramic, where Jesus prayed just before he was betrayed and arrested.

 

In the Mount of Olives,  still nowadays you can find the oldest olive trees in the world.

Olive Oil around the world

The Olive tree can be considered as a traveling tree. 

 

Olive Oil in the Americas

 

Although is native to the Mediterranean area, during Columbus’ second voyage to the “Indies” the olive tree reached the new continent.  

 

Olive trees quickly spread along  South America’s dry Pacific coast, where the climate was similar to the Mediterranean.

 

The first seedlings from Spain were planted in Lima by Antonio de Rivera in 1560.

 

Later on, in the 18th century, Spanish missionaries cultivated the olive tree at Mission San Diego de Alcalá, California.

 

Olive oil production gradually became a highly successful commercial venture from the 1860s onwards.

 

Since then, olive tree cultivation prospered from California to Argentina.

 

Olive Oil in Asia

 

The olive tree also traveled to Asia and olive oil has been gaining more popularity over the years.

 

Shodo Island has been considered the cradle of olive cultivation in Japan since 1908.

 

Its mediterranean climate made it ideal for growing olives.

 

Also known as “Olive island”, Shodo Island is the Japanese top producer of olives and olive oil.

 

Olive Oil in Europe

 

“Come to Granada, girl”.

And the girl doesn’t listen to him.

The girl with the beautiful face

continues to pick olives

with the wind

around her waist.

Federico García Lorca

 

Back to its Mediterranean origin, Spain is the biggest AOVE producer in the world, and its finest olive oil comes from the Andalucía region.

 

Spanish producers have created unique experiences in their own mills where you can discover all the secrets of the best-valued olive oil in the world. 

 

If you are coming to Granada and you want to enjoy the authentic taste of Andalucía you must visit an Almazara.

Olive Oil in Granada

If you want to discover the best kept secrets of extra virgin olive oil you are in the right place.

 

Surrounded by a beautiful sunlit landscape, overlooking the Sierra Nevada Natural Park there is a traditional  family-run oil mill experts in Oleo Turism.

 

And having a private guided visit with José is a definite luxury experience.

 

José, not only has dedicated his life to the Olive Oil production, also he is passionate about Olives and he loves teaching how premium AOVE is made the traditional way.

 

He will lead us through the olive grove, to show us how farmers take care of their olive trees.

 

Afterwards we will visit the olive mill facilities to learn about the  production process,  from the juice extraction until it is bottled.

 

The private visit to the olive oil mill lasts about 3 hours and ends with a delicious  olive oil tasting, where you will have the opportunity to try different kinds of olive oils, accompany by local homemade bread.

 

Also, if you wish, you can enjoy a typical Andalusian lunch in a unique guesthouse-restaurant from the 17th century at the foot of our ski resort Sierra Nevada.

 

Enjoy an  Oleo Tourism experience, learn about the secrets of olive oil and its production, and fall in love with this sublime fruit.

 

Contact me.  Let’s discover Granada together!