Olive

An olive branch symbolizes peace or goodwill. When Noah, after the great flooding of the earth, released a white dove, it came back with an olive leaf, showing that the waters were receding. Winners of Olympic games used to be honored with a crown of olive leaves.

Most olives are produced in countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea where the olive orchards with their garbled trees are a typical part of the landscape. Olive trees are usually cultivated to produce olive oil, which is a high quality edible oil used for cooking and in salads. But olive fruits are also eaten as a snack or they are used as a vegetable, mixed in salads or in other food such as pizza and pasta sauces.

This page provides some basic information on olives, a proverb and a recipe with olive oil.

Scientific name:	Olea europaea
Family:	Oleaceae
Order:	Lamiales
Common names:	English: Olive Dutch: Olijf Spanish: Aceituna German: Olive French: Olive Italian: Oliva
Origin:
Distribution:	Most olives are grown in countries near the Mediterranean Sea, especially Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Tunesia, Morocco, Egypt and Portugal.
Evergreen or deciduous:	Evergreen tree
Flowers:	Small white flowers.
Leaves:	Silvery green leaves. Leaves have an oblong, about 4 to 10 cm long and about 1 to 3 cm wide.
Fruits:	Small ovoid fruits o 1 to 2.5 cm long with one seed.
Climate and weather:	Mediterranean climate
Pollination:
Height:	Olives are trees or shrubs that can reach up to 15 meters in height but usually less. The trunk is often gnarled or twisted.
Crown size:
Blooming period
Type of soil:	Prefers calcareous soils and limestone.
Preferred pH:
Moisture:	Very tolerant to drought because the trees have a very extensive root system.
Light:
Growth rate:	Slow growing tree.
Spacing (close range)	4.5 by 7.5 meters or 5 by 8 meter
Spacing (wide range)	9 by 9 meters
Canopy:
Propagation:	Usually by cutting or layers. Trees can be grown from suckers or seeds, but these produce less fruits and should be budded or grafted for better results.
Insect pests:	Olive flies attack the fruits.
Diseases:	Some fungus and bacterial diseases are known. Cycloconium oleaginum is a fungus that can damage trees. Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. olea is a bacterium that can cause tumours in the shoots.
Fruit development:
Harvesting:	Fruits are harvested green or after they are ripe on the tree. Ripe fruits have a purple or blackish color.
Uses:	Fruits are pickled for food or pressed to extract oil. Fruits are rather bitter in taste and are often fermented to make them more tasty. Olive oil is healthier than many other oils because it has a high content of monounsaturated fat, mainly oleic acid. It also contains an antioxidant, Hydroxytyrosol.

Photos

Proverbs

• Hold out the olive branch.

Quotes

• But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. (Bible, Psalms 52:8)
• England and the English. As a rule they will refuse even to sample a foreign dish, they regard such things as garlic and olive oil with disgust, life is unlivable to them unless they have tea and puddings. (George Orwell)
• His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. (Bible)
• Except the vine, there is no plant which bears a fruit of as great importance as the olive. (Pliny)

Recipes

Olive Oil Bread Dip

Ingredients:
1/4 cup pure olive oil, black pepper (freshly crushed), parmesan cheese, fresh (hot) bread

Pour the olive oil on a flat plate. Sprinkle it with black pepper and parmesan cheese. Use fresh (hot) bread and dip it in the oil. It's delicious.