Olive Powder
The Olive - History |
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The Phoenicians brought the olive tree to the Mediterranean shores of Africa and Southern Europe. Latterly, olive culture spread to the Greeks and Romans, who introduced olives to other cultures throughout the Roman empire. Olive oil is the major, edible, vegetable oil of Mediterranean countries. The olive tree can tolerate harsh climates and poor soils, with some trees over 500 years old, still bearing healthy fruit. Only healthy olive fruits are used to produce olive powder. Despite the
high market price of olive oil, its subtle sensory characteristics
account for its popularity. Furthermore, there is increasing interest
in the nutritional and functional properties of olives, which
make a significant contribution to the healthy Mediterranean diet.
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A
native of Asia Minor, the olive tree spread from Iran, Syria and
Palestine to the rest of the Mediterranean basin some 6000 years
ago. As one of the oldest known cultivated trees in the World,
olives were grown in Crete as early as 3000 BC and may have been
the source of wealth of the Minoan Empire.|
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