Image by (Chris P)
I look at the olive oil trend that flocked the world starting the early years of 2000 with a smile.
honestly one may think that the olive oil is a ‘new thing’ and was ‘discovered’ recently by a few researchers from Colombia university or so. However, some of you might be surprised by the fact that it was one of the oldest ingredients civilization have cultivated and used throughout the centuries. So I would say that it is more of an ‘Ah-ha’ moment for the western world, since olive oil goes back to the biblical times.

Back in those days, olive oil was valued as gold. Both archeologists and biblical historians agree that olive oil had a major roll even 1000 BC, till ‘earlier’ stages of the Greeks and Roman empires.
If today a VIP event is happening and a red carpet is pulled out so the limousine would pull over just in front of it, back then the olive oil was the ‘red carpet’ of that time. For example when a new king came to the thrown, the priests drizzled olive oil on his head to give the ‘official seal’

Ok enough of with the ‘time machine’, These days in the middle east olive oil still plays a major roll in the Arab world (the countries closer to the Mediterranean sea). Sometimes, the whole life cycle of a person is warped around the olives.

• Long life -Some men drink a full cup of olive oil each day – for stronger and longer life
• Hair Fall –some believe that olive oil helps against hair fall. Just rub your hair & scalp with olive oil each night before bed time, cover it with a cloth over night and wash it in the morning.
• Protection – rubbing a new born baby at his 20^th day with olive oil against the ‘evil eye’

Around the month of October something almost magical happens, the olives are mature and the Arab or Druz villages in the Galilee take their share of time off from work to pick the olives. When it comes for olive picking the timing is crucial, a bit like good grapes for wine.

It is a common sight during that time to see the ground under each tree, covered with a large plastic sheet and a few women holding long sticks banging on the branches in order to make the olives fall down.
Although most people think that ‘virgin’ or ‘extra virgin’ are the only kind of olive oil you can find, it is not more then a common misconception since there are numerous species of olives.  My personal favorite is the Syrian specie with it’s full aroma and flavor.  The will be taken to the refinery, the same day they got picked.

There’s nothing like a thick, greenish, ‘dirty’ in a way. Olive oil that just now got of the press has an incredible rich  flavor, and is nothing like the ones you’ve tasted so far.
It has such a rich flavor that it makes you want to add it to almost anything.

See if you can get your hands on a bottle, can or container of olive oil (extra virgin) that is from the Syrian kind.
Buck up everyone and toast a cup of olive oil for your life.