Why olives are black and green difference. Natural or dyed: what is the difference between canned olives and black olives

Many people are interested in the answer to the question: is there a difference between olives and olives? And, if so, what is it?

At first glance, they are very similar, these exotic olives and black olives. The difference, however, is still there. First, it concerns the color of the product. Everyone knows that olives are almost black, while olives are green. There are two misconceptions about this. One says that olives and olives are completely different fruits. It is enough to get to the homeland of these fruits to understand that this is absolutely not the case. In fact, they all grow on the same tree - the olive tree. Initially, they were distributed only in Greece. We all remember that even the first winners of the ancient Olympic Games were greeted with olive branches in their hands. However, the fruits of the olive were very quickly appreciated, and valuable trees began to be grown in Africa and the Americas.

The second misconception is that olives are nothing but ripe olives. It's not quite right. Yes, olives are much riper than olives, but this is not the reason for their black color. In fact, this color is acquired exclusively under the influence of chemical processing. By the way, this does not happen with all olives, only the Halkidiki variety is suitable for the production of olives. To be completely objective, it is worth noting that there are still certain varieties of olives that turn black when they fully ripen, but these are not at all the olives that we buy in stores.

So what else, besides color, is the difference between olives and black olives? The difference is not so great. The so-called olives contain a much higher percentage of oil, it can even reach eighty. Therefore, it is from them that the famous most useful is obtained. Actually, this explains the emergence of the name olive. By the way, it is interesting that nowhere else in the world there is such a division into olives and olives. The difference is emphasized only by the name of the color of the fruit. Therefore, do not look for olives in Europe, they simply will not understand you. For a European, these are black olives and nothing more.

All olives from which oil is not produced (and this is only about three percent of the total crop) are canned. The fact is that in a different way they simply cannot be eaten. They are incredibly bitter and hard. Ideally, the processing of olives takes a very long time. For more than six months they have to be soaked in a salt solution. Unfortunately, modern manufacturers do not want and cannot afford this, so various oxides and stabilizers are used to speed up the process. In this regard, both olives and black olives are processed in the same way. The difference is only in the exposure time, for green olives it is less.

On the shelves of shops you can see a huge selection of jars of olives. They have long ceased to be divided only into fruits with and without seeds. Modern manufacturers have turned on the fantasy at full capacity, trying to invent new products that can be stuffed with olives. The choice of filling is a matter of taste for each individual. Olives cannot boast of such a variety. They are never stuffed with anything. There were attempts, but the filling only spoiled the taste, so this idea was quickly abandoned.

The taste of olives is soft, oily. Olives, on the other hand, most often turn out to be quite sharp, even sour.

If we talk about the benefits, then modern olives and black olives are absolutely equal. This is a very high-calorie product that boasts an incredible wealth of vitamins. Both those and others are recommended for the prevention of many diseases: liver, stomach, heart problems and even cancerous tumors.

Black Olives vs Olives - What's the difference? Most are accustomed to consider green fruits as olives, and black fruits as olives. Some are sure that the berries grow on different trees, while others believe that the fruits have different degrees of maturity. We offer to understand the secrets of growth, taste, harm and benefits of fruits.

Where and how olives grow

European olive is a tree that grows both olives and olives. And only in Russia the fruits are called olives. All over the world, their common name is olives.

The tree grows only up to a meter in height, but in breadth it can grow significantly. If you do not properly care for the olive, it very quickly turns into a bush and dies due to insufficient light at the base.

The olive is a very hardy plant that survives in arid conditions and tolerates frosts down to 10 degrees. The distinguishing property of a tree is its ability to renew itself and reproduce itself.

When harvesting, green fruits are removed by hand and placed in special baskets. To collect ripe berries, which themselves crumble, they use small nets, hanging under each tree.

The berries on the tree grow a poisonous green color, then their color changes to grass green, then purple and turn into bright black fruits that are saturated with a lot of oil.

Olives and olives: the difference in chemical composition

Tasty and nutritious fruits have a fibrous structure and are well absorbed by the body.

The composition of olives and olives includes:

• phosphorus;
• calcium;
• B vitamins;
• copper;
• oleic acid;
• magnesium;
• folic acid;
• selenium;
• vitamin E;
• potassium;
• vitamin K;
• zinc;
• choline;
• iron;
• sodium.

The difference between olives and olives in the chemical composition is minimal and is explained by the fact that the berries have a different ripening process.

The calorie content of olives is 145 kcal per 100 grams, while olives have 168 kcal.

Olives and black olives are fruits of the same tree - olive. In the preparation of many products for garnishing dishes, recipes indicate that either olives or olives must be used. But what is the difference between olives and olives, what is their difference if they grow on the same tree?

How are olives different from olives?

The word "olive" comes from the same root word "oil", since the olives themselves are very oily. Most of them are used to make butter. The word "olive" in relation to black olives is used only in the CIS and Russia.

The bright green fruits, still unripe, are called olives, and those that have a bright purple color, already ripe, are called olives. At the same time, only olives belonging to the Halkidiki variety change color, the rest remain unchanged during canning.

In those countries where olive trees grow, the fruits are called only olives, using just the addition of color to this word.

There are some varieties of olives that turn black when ripe, but olives that are sold in stores are not among them. Those olives that are most often sold in our stores, in fact, belong to the immature fruits of the olive tree, and acquire a black color during chemical processing. Olives that have ripened as expected do not acquire a uniform color, but from brown to dark purple.

How are olives and olives made?

Olives that have just been taken from the tree have an unpleasant bitter taste. In order for them to acquire the taste that all consumers are accustomed to, they are kept in salt water for 6 months, soaking. But modern manufacturers do not bother with such a complex and lengthy process. The process of making olives and olives is streamlined, so they are simply treated with oxides and stabilizers.

The black color of olives is provided only due to a longer chemical exposure to them., despite the fact that the composition of the preservative used is absolutely the same. Iron gluconate is usually used to color green olives, which leads to the loss of all the nutritional value of the product.

The difference between black olives and olives is also that they are never sold stuffed.. This is due to the fact that the taste of olives deteriorates if any filler is added to them. At the same time, the taste of green olives, on the contrary, becomes more unusual. This explains why black olives can be bought pitted, halves or with pits, and green olives are stuffed with anchovies, orange, lemon, salmon and other delicious things.

Olives and olives: benefits and taste

The taste of olives, first of all, depends on their variety. At the same time, they have a sharper and sharper taste than olives, which are rather soft in taste and have rich shades of aftertaste.

When produced according to an old recipe using natural preservatives, olives are much healthier than olives. But this method of production is now more of an exception, so today the benefits of black olives and green olives are the same. Olives, like olives, contain many vitamins, proteins and fiber. They are very useful in liver diseases, as a prevention of heart attack, improvement in cancer.

Ripe olives are healthier than green olives. In the process of maturation, they accumulate a maximum of vitamins, biologically active substances, amino acids, fatty acids. This explains the fact that they cost more than olives at 6 r. For the same reason, unscrupulous producers pass off unripe dyed olives as olives. The impact of ferrous gluconate leads to the fact that all the beneficial properties of olives disappear, turning them into a rather harmful product for humans. The daily norm of iron gluconate should not exceed 10 mg, and in a jar of so-called olives it contains 22 mg.

An excess of ferrous gluconate leads to exacerbations of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and in case of stomach and duodenal ulcers, its use is generally strictly prohibited. With the frequent use of black olives, damage to the kidneys, liver, allergic reactions, indigestion, headaches and nausea occur.

How to choose olives and black olives?

In order not to make a mistake when choosing olives or olives, you should first of all pay attention to the composition indicated on the bank. If it is indicated there that the olives are with the addition of iron, you can be sure that the inside is unripe green olives dyed with the food additive E - 579. In the Russian Federation, this additive is prohibited.

The main feature of natural black olives is the color of the liquid in which they are located. It shouldn't be black. If you put green olives in such a brine, then after 3 hours they will acquire a dark shade. Olives that do not contain ferrous gluconate are much more expensive. To see what you have acquired, it is better buy olives in glassware.

The difference between olives and olives lies in their color and in the fact that the name of the olive is used only in the vastness of Russia and the CIS. In fact, these are the fruits of the olive tree, only of varying degrees of ripeness.

Real black olives have a more delicate taste than green olives. They are never stuffed, and their price is several times higher. The composition of olives should not contain a food additive, which is labeled as E-579. But in order to buy really real olives, you need to carefully study the composition of the proposed product, since unscrupulous manufacturers very often offer green unripe olives dyed with ferrous gluconate instead of olives, which will not bring any benefit to your body.

Especially forlady special. en- Julia

Olives and olives. Chemical olives. What are the benefits of olives

Russia occupies an honorable second place in the world in terms of olive consumption. This is all the more surprising because until the beginning of the 1990s we practically did not try olives, because they did not grow in our country. But another fact is even more surprising - having sat down on these fruits of the Mediterranean, we do not know anything about them. Olives and olive oil form the basis of the Mediterranean diet, recognized as the healthiest in the world. Olives contain over 100 substances, not all of which have yet been studied.

Olives and olives
And olives and black olives - the fruits of the olive tree - the European olive - Olea europea, or, as it is also called, the cultivated olive. But if you, when buying a jar of black fruits, think that these are mature olives, then most likely you are deeply mistaken. In almost a hundred percent of cases, these are pseudo-olives made from green olives. These are the wonders of food technology. Until recently, the world did not know such olives, they were made in the old grandfather way, and green was green, and black was black. But when they decided to make olives a global product, food technology engineers changed their production beyond recognition. As a result, they were made quickly and cheaply.
Green Ripe Olives. They should not be considered immature. Their color is from yellow-green to straw, and inside they are white. The olives themselves are dense, there is less oil in them. They are stored longer, and they can be processed by traditional and modern chemical methods.
Olives-Turning Color. Olives that begin to change color, becoming red-brown. Their flesh is still white, but the “berries” themselves are no longer so hard. They can be processed by both old and new methods, using alkali.
Olives of natural black maturity (Naturally Black Ripe Olives). Naturally blackened olives on the tree. They are considered the most expensive and high-quality, it is better to collect them manually and before the cold weather. Worse stored, easier to spoil. The flesh of the fruit is already dark. They are best processed by traditional methods - without chemistry. You can make olives the Greek way by drying them.
chemical olives
Fresh olives are practically inedible, they contain a very bitter and, by the way, useful substance oleoropain. To remove it, the olives were traditionally soaked in salt water, often seawater, and fermented for several months. This natural process of removing bitterness took 3-6 months for black olives and 6 months to a year for green olives. Modern large food concerns cannot make a product with such a long production cycle - they need everything to be done quickly and stored for a long time. Food scientists have figured out how to compress this time to a few days. To quickly wash away the bitterness, they began to add alkali to the brine - caustic soda, or, as it is also called, caustic soda. As a result of such a chemical attack, the production cycle was compressed to several days.
Food technology geniuses have learned how to make green olives black. If oxygen is still passed through the brine with green olives, the olives will turn black and become similar to natural black olives, which are traditionally more expensive.
The vast majority of olives that we sell under the guise of black olives do just that. And in general, almost all green olives that we have on the shelves in stores are made by an accelerated chemical method using alkali. This is very unfortunate, because olives, white or green, made in the traditional way, are the product of fermentation - like our sauerkraut. Naturally, they are incomparably better and more useful than leached ones. They have a more elegant taste, they are juicier, their flesh does not look like a dry sponge soaked in brine, like leached ones. And finally, they are much more useful - they retain more of the active substances for which olives are so famous and which have a beneficial effect on health.
How, when buying, to distinguish green olives, brought to black, from natural black olives, or, as we say, olives, and how to distinguish leached olives from those made in the traditional way - without chemistry?
If caustic soda is added to olives, then it must be present on the label. Logical, but wrong. Here is a typical composition of such green olives - olives, water, salt, acidity regulator lactic acid, antioxidant citric acid. And no food additive E524 - this is how caustic soda is designated, or, as it is also called, caustic soda, or sodium hydroxide. Why is this substance absent in the composition, because it is used in production? The alkali quickly penetrates the olives, killing the bitterness, but then it is washed away, and no mention of it remains on the label. This is officially allowed.
Unfortunately, the current labeling system does not help us to distinguish these accelerated olives from traditional ones. This can be said with certainty if the manufacturer specifically indicates the method of making olives on the label. But this happens infrequently, even if they are made in the old grandfather way. Therefore, they can only be distinguished by indirect signs.
First, leached olives are usually 2-4 times cheaper. Of course, there are exceptions when leached olives are trying to sell at a high price. But there are no cheap traditional olives.
Secondly, olives that have undergone chemical treatment with alkali are more often produced in iron cans (unfortunately, there are exceptions to this rule).
Thirdly, in addition to brine, olive oil, lemon juice and some other natural ingredients that are indicated in the composition are often added to traditional olives.
Fourthly, olives after alkali become, as it were, tougher and drier. Their surface is shiny and smooth, without the slightest defect. Traditional green olives are juicier, more elastic, and there may be defects on their surface - dots, specks. You should not be afraid of them - olives are like that in reality, and outwardly they become ideal after treatment with alkali.

Olives black and artificial
Most artificially blackened olives are made in Spain, they are even called Spanish-style olives. But be careful: in other Mediterranean countries, such production is also used. True, olives are often made there using traditional methods. Fortunately, these blackened olives can always be distinguished from natural black olives made in the traditional way. This is despite the fact that Russian label requirements, traditionally unfriendly to the consumer, do not force manufacturers to disclose information about how they are made. It’s just that in their composition there is always a “password” that allows you to distinguish pseudo-olives from real black ones that have ripened to such a color on a tree. And that password is ferrous gluconate, or E579. It is a color stabilizer that prevents oxidized olives from turning green again.
Here is a typical composition of such olives - olives, water, salt, ferrous gluconate. Lactic or citric acid, vinegar and some other acidifiers, which will be indicated in the composition, can also be added to them. Mediterranean producers can call such olives in Russian olives, black olives, large selected olives. But, no matter how they contrive and describe the advantages of their product on the packaging, if ferrous gluconate is present in the composition, then these are blackened olives. And that means they were collected green, treated with alkali, “colored” with oxygen, their color stabilized with the help of this substance.
In addition, artificially blackened olives are easy to distinguish, even if they are sold by weight and the composition is not indicated anywhere. They are very black, often even shiny. This is an unnatural color. Natural mature black olives are duller and brownish. They are often unevenly colored - the barrel facing the sun is brighter and darker - it ripens faster, and the one hiding in the shade is paler. These flaws in appearance, indicating the naturalness of olives. They are clearly visible in glass jars or when olives are sold by weight.
Olives made by traditional methods, without chemicals, can be not only black or green, but also pinkish, slightly purple or brownish. These are either medium-ripe olives, or special varieties of olives that darken moderately. For example, Greek Kalamata olives are purple rather than black.
Greek style olives
There is another kind of traditional olives made without chemicals and even without brine. These are olives in Greek, or, as they are more commonly called among us, olives in Greek. They are not sold in brine, they are simply poured into jars or packed in plastic bags. Often a little oil is added to them. Outwardly, they are very different from other olives - their fruits are somewhat shriveled, dried. Their taste is also different - they are a little more bitter, but many people like it.
The word "olives" is a purely Russian invention. From time immemorial, we called the olive tree an olive tree, hence the olives came from. This name is very logical - from the Greek name of the olive (olea), the word “oil” itself came into being, which became part of a lot of languages. That is, in Greek, the name of the olive also sounds something like an olive tree. In the Mediterranean homeland, all its fruits are called olives. If they are black, then they are Black olives, and if they are green, then they are Green olives. Following the same logic, our olives also had to be divided into green and black. But, when we had olive fruits, they retained their native name “olives”. This word caught on quickly. And the popular consciousness quickly divided these synonyms according to the color of the fruit. Many suppliers of olives accepted it, and they began to write “olives” in Russian on jars with black “berries”.
Paint instead of taste
In summer, salads and appetizers with olives are very popular - they are both hearty and healthy. But most of the olives sold on the Russian market are fake.
This conclusion was reached by the experts of the Society for the Protection of Consumer Rights "Public Control", who conducted an examination of this product.
As samples, the experts chose five popular brands, on the labels of which the inscription "olives" appeared. When evaluating the appearance, the experts paid attention to the nature of the surface, the uniformity of the size of the olives, the presence of mechanical damage and the change in the shape of the fruit after canning. One requirement was put forward for the color of the fruit - uniformity. The consistency was evaluated taking into account tenderness, roughness, fibrousness. In this case, the fruits should not have been boiled. The olives were also tested for the absence or presence of foreign tastes and odors. To avoid bias, the tasting was carried out "blindly" - the "examiners" did not know the names of the brands.
As a result of the study, it turned out that all tested products contain iron gluconate (or E579), that is, a color stabilizer, and the manufacturer does not hide this, information about the content of the additive is on the package. It is with its help that olives acquire their thick dark shade. However, such products have nothing to do with real olives. These are simply green olives dyed black.
According to the content of nutrients, artificial olives cannot be compared with natural ones. The real ones contain a third more fatty acids, and their nutritional value is 2.5 times higher. However, black olives, thanks to ferrous gluconate, are rich in iron, which is necessary for the production of hemoglobin. The lack of this substance can cause anemia. However, they cannot be abused. Otherwise, failures in the work of the liver, heart, kidneys are possible. The recommended daily allowance for iron for adults is 10-20 mg per day. One jar of proven olives contains approximately 22.5 mg of iron. Therefore, it is dangerous to get too carried away with such olives. Experts advise eating natural olives or green olives. And blackened, in reasonable quantities, should be used only as a snack, addition to salads and sandwiches.
In Germany, on the packaging of blackened olives they write "geschwärzt" - "painted black". In Russia, truthful information is not indicated and only the inscription “olives” is placed on banks.

What are the benefits of olives
In the Mediterranean countries, almost everywhere where olives are grown, one interesting eating habit can be observed - some people swallow several olives right with the pits during meals. There is an opinion among the people that it is useful and even protects against cancer. Although local doctors do not confirm the usefulness of this. Some argue that the bones are digested and release useful substances. The stone of the olive is very strong, and, most likely, it is too tough for digestive enzymes. On the other hand, the kernel of an olive can contain useful substances - the contents of almost any seed, be it nuts or seeds, are very rich in them. Therefore, maybe it is better to chop olive pits like nuts? Fortunately, for most, the bones are harmless, but in people with adhesive disease, constipation and sluggish intestines, they can become the “growth point” around which a bezoar is formed - a foreign body in the stomach and intestines. Sometimes this leads to digestive problems, up to intestinal obstruction. And pay attention to the shape of the pits, in some varieties of olives they have sharp ends and can injure the mucous membrane. By the way, the Mediterranean diet is very healthy, and therefore it protects against cancer and other diseases in and of itself.
Some nutritionists believe that the Mediterranean diet is not entirely suitable for residents of cold countries, including Russia. The best option for them is the Norwegian diet.
People have always associated the olive tree with something divine. The ancient Greeks believed that they owed the creation of the olive to the goddess Athena, so the olive branch personified wisdom and fertility for them. The Egyptians attributed the olive to the goddess Isis and were sure that this tree was a symbol of justice. Christians believe that a dove with an olive branch in its beak brought the news of a truce between God and people after the Flood. Perhaps such a respectful attitude towards olive trees is due to their longevity. The olive tree grows very slowly, and some of the trees are believed to be over a thousand years old. Perhaps that is why many nations have a belief that the olive never dies and can live forever.
The fruits of the "eternal" tree may be completely different from each other. Some varieties are comparable in size to cherries, while others are more like plums. The color changes as it matures. Green olives develop a pinkish-brown hue over time, and when they are fully ripe, they turn black.
But all varieties of olives and black olives have one thing in common - they cannot be eaten fresh. The fruit, freshly plucked from the tree, is very tough, and if you still manage to bite off a small piece, an inexpressible bitterness awaits you. Therefore, to get a delicious snack, olives and black olives are soaked for a long time, and then salted or pickled. At the same time, salted fruits are tougher than pickled ones.
The legendary Avicenna considered olives to be a cure for almost all diseases. The famous doctor was not so wrong, because these fruits are amazingly useful for our body. Olives contain a lot of B vitamins - the main helpers of our brain and nervous system, vitamin A - is needed for sharp vision, vitamin D - is necessary for strong bones and healthy teeth, ascorbic acid - strengthens the immune system, vitamin E - protects against harmful environmental influences, prevents cardiovascular diseases, premature aging and malignant tumors. But still, the main wealth of olives is oil. Its content in fruits can range from 50 to 80%. Moreover, the riper the olives, the more oil they contain. Olive oil is a truly unique product. It has a huge amount of unsaturated fatty acids. They are necessary to reduce the level of bad cholesterol in the blood, and therefore, to protect our cardiovascular system and prevent atherosclerosis. The oil contained in olives improves digestion and stimulates the appetite. And that's why olives are often served before dinner as an appetizer. And if you eat 10 olives daily, you can protect yourself from the development of gastritis and stomach ulcers.
Olives help to neutralize any substances that are toxic to the body. Therefore, they are considered an ideal addition to many alcoholic cocktails. Olives not only perfectly set off the taste of the drink, but also protect against morning sickness after a friendly party.
Since ancient times, people have believed that olives and black olives increase male power. Whether this is really so is still unknown, but the inhabitants of the Mediterranean countries, where olives are included in the daily menu, are really famous for their hot temperament.
On the shelves you can find olives stuffed with anchovy, lemon, pepper, pickles and other goodies. But stuffing olives is not accepted. It is believed that their taste is already rich enough and you should not “spoil” it with a variety of additives. The only "manipulation" allowed in relation to olives is taking out the pit. However, gourmets are sure that this operation only spoils the quality and taste of olives.
If you are going to put your favorite jar of olives in your bag, be sure to pay attention to their caliber. It is indicated by numbers written through a fraction, for example: 70/90, 140/160 or 300/220. These figures mean the number of fruits per kilogram of dry weight. Therefore, the larger the number indicating the caliber, the smaller the olives. So, the inscription 240/260 says that there are no less than 240 and no more than 260 olives per kilogram. Fruits closed in a jar should be approximately the same shape and size - this indicates the quality of the product.
And of course, the bank should not be deformed, it should not have traces of rust and other damage.
Scientists have found out why the inhabitants of the Mediterranean are less likely to get breast cancer. The key to the puzzle was oleic acid - being the main component of olive oil, it is included in most local dishes. Studies performed at Northwestern University Chicago show that this substance not only reduces the risk of a malignant tumor, but also increases the effectiveness of treatment if it does occur.
Scientists have also found that the risk of a heart attack is reduced if most of the calories consumed by the patient come from olive oil, and not from other foods. The study involved 342 people, of whom 171 had already experienced one myocardial infarction.
And according to other studies, olive oil can help your sore head no worse than dipyrone, since the substances found in it correspond in effect to ibuprofen contained in painkillers.
Australian researchers have found that the more olive oil people consume, the less wrinkles they get. Oleic acid, which is part of olives and extra virgin olive oil, penetrates through the membranes of skin cells, filling them, which makes fine lines and wrinkles less noticeable. To include as many olives as possible in your daily diet, use olive oil for cooking, add olives to pasta sauces and salads - or eat them whole.

What is the difference between olives and olives, what is the difference between olives and black olives? This question has been asked to me very often, and I think that many will be interested in the answer.

I also once thought that olives and olives- completely different fruits, just similar. In fact, such a division exists only among the Russian-speaking consumer, all other peoples use only one word to define this delicacy - olives, olives.

So what is the difference between olives and black olives?

In a photo from a local market, you can see the variety of colors and sizes on the olive stand. Green, black, brown, marinated, salty, hard, soft… mmm… You can taste these only here in Chalkidiki!

All this splendor is called olives ( ελιές in Greek), it’s just that for some reason we are used to calling olives those varieties of olives that are harvested black and ripened in late November - December.

Our most common variety of olives, which is usually harvested in late September - early October, is called Halkidikis, and is grown almost exclusively in the southern part of the peninsula.

It is these olives that are harvested green, from which they make "αγουρέλαιο", that is, green olive oil. It is quite thick, has a strong flavor and is best consumed in salads. This variety has large fruits that are not found, say, in the Peloponnese. There, in general, olives grow small, almost exclusively for oil.

Black olives are usually harvested from us Calamon (Kalamata), which can be pickled, salted, and they also make excellent oil, more yellow and thinner in consistency. There are other varieties of olives, which are harvested only black, ripe. And even the olives of Halkidikis, if left on a tree, will darken by November-December. They can then be salted, and dried salted olives are obtained. And you can send it to oil along with other olives.

As the Greeks say, in order for an olive tree to bear fruit well, it must see the sea.. This is, of course, some exaggeration, but there is some truth in it. That is, the olive needs a Mediterranean mild climate and proximity to the sea. For example, in mountainous areas or just far from the sea, you will not see olive trees, or they simply will not bear fruit.

And the Greeks used everything that the olive and its fruits can give from time immemorial, the benefits of olives for the body were known to the ancient Greeks. The ancient Greek myth says that the goddess Athena herself gave the olive to the Athenians, competing with other gods for patronage over Athens. Oliva grew on the spot where Athena struck with her spear, and was recognized as the best gift for the Athenians. The olive gave not only edible and healthy fruits and oil, but was used for lighting, heating, and oil was indispensable for maintaining beauty and health.

In the following articles, we will talk about the benefits of olives and olive oil, how olives are harvested and processed, I am sure that you will learn a lot of new things for yourself!