Olive

Olea europaea is the type species of its genus, Olea, which lends its name to the plant family Oleaceae. The olive fruit is classed botanically as a drupe, similar in structure and function to the cherry or peach. Olea europaea includes the cultivated olive and five other subspecies. The olive has deep historical, economic and cultural significance in the Mediterranean. The word olive derives from Latin ŏlīva, meaning 'olive fruit; olive tree'.

Origin and Production

The olive is cultivated throughout the Mediterranean Basin. Olives are among the most extensively cultivated fruit crops in the world. In terms of olive oil output, Spain is by far the largest producer, making up 25% of the global supply, followed by Italy, Morocco and Tunisia. Olive trees prefer calcareous soils; they grow best on limestone slopes and crags and in coastal climates. Olives like hot weather and sunny positions without any shade. Approximately 80% of all harvested olives are processed into oil, with the rest cured and fermented as table olives. When picked, green olives are bitter and have to be cured before human consumption, with pickling in brine the most common method.

Chemistry

Olive oil is composed mainly of the mixed triglyceride esters of oleic acid, linoleic acid, palmitic acid and of other fatty acids. It consists mainly of oleic acid (up to 83%), with smaller amounts of other fatty acids including linoleic acid (up to 21%) and palmitic acid (up to 20%). It also holds traces of squalene (up to 0.7%) and sterols (about 0.2% phytosterol and tocosterols). The composition of olive oil varies with the cultivar, altitude, time of harvest, and extraction process.

Physical Properties

Olive oil has a specific gravity of 0.91000 to 0.91500 at 25.00 °C. Its melting point is -6.0 °C and its boiling point is 299 °C. Its flash point is 640.00 °F.

History

The olive was one of the first fruit trees to be domesticated, being first cultivated in the Eastern Mediterranean between 6,000 and 4,000 BC. The term oil was originally synonymous with olive oil. Olive oil has long been a common ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine, including ancient Greek and Roman cuisine. Besides food, olive oil has been used for religious rituals, medicines, as a fuel in oil lamps, soap-making, and skincare application.

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