Olives in Culture, Symbols, and Oil

Olive oil which is globally popular in various dishes originates from specific lands in the world. Rooting from the south levant and the Mediterranean to the west, olive trees which are the source of olive oil are culturally important as much as they are critical in traditional dishes.

The journey of the olive tree Olive trees are primarily found in the Mediterranean region and their existence dates back to the twelfth millennium BC. Olive leaf fossils have been found in Pliocene deposits at Mongardino in Italy. Fossilised leftovers have been discovered in strata from the Upper Paleolithic at the Relilai snail hatchery in North Africa, and pieces of wild olive trees and stones have been uncovered in excavations of the Chalcolithic period and the Bronze Age in Spain. The original home of the olive tree is the area that extends from the southern Caucasus to the Iranian plateau and the Mediterranean coasts of Syria and Palestine where its cultivation developed considerably spreading from there to the island of Cyprus and on towards Anatolia or from the island of Crete towards Egypt. From the 6th century BC onwards, the olive spread throughout the Mediterranean countries reaching Tripoli, Tunis, and the island of Sicily. From there, it moved to southern Italy.

Cultivation moved upwards from south to north, from Calabria to Liguria. When the Romans arrived in North Africa, the Berbers knew how to graft wild olives and had really developed its farming throughout the territories they occupied. In more modern times the olive tree has continued to spread outside the Mediterranean and today is farmed in places as far removed from its origins as southern Africa, Australia, Japan, and China. As Duhamel said, “The Mediterranean ends where the olive tree no longer grows”, which can be capped by saying “There where the sun permits, the olive tree takes root and gains ground.”*1

Symbolism of Olive

It is considered since our childhood that olive oil is the magic solution which cures possibly every illness or scar. I remember my grandmother calling me with a spoon of olive oil in her hand every time I fell and wounded my knee. I remember the same spoon feeding me the oil when I had harsh coughs. Surprisingly I remember the smell of vinegar mixed with olive oil and some breadcrumbs used to heal any severe scar. Those traditional ways of curing pain are no doubt effective and special.

Our ancestors have been resorting to olive oil for numerous usages other than medication as well. It holds a sacred place within religious ceremonies across various cultures and faiths. Its use in religious rituals dates back centuries and is deeply intertwined with spiritual practices. In many religious traditions, olive oil is considered a sacred substance, symbolizing purity, healing, and divine blessings. The origin of this special mixture, the Olive tree, has been rooted not only in our diets but also in our culture, religion, and society.

The olive tree symbolises for various things which are mutual and different simultaneously among religions, societies and communities. It is universally agreed that the olive branch is one of the most iconic representations of peace and harmony.

The association has deep historical roots that go back thousands of years, just like many traditional symbols. The olive branch not only symbolizes peace, but victory, fidelity and strength, friendship, cleansing, light, and richness in different cultures.*2

Following the Nakba in 1948, the olive tree became a symbol of rootedness and resistance against apartheid, and so the fight for Palestinian liberation finds itself rooted in the olive trees that are planted across the region, from Palestine and beyond, holding together the ancient ties that unite the people of the region. Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish illustrated the intimate connection between the olive trees, the land, and its people saying: “If the olive trees knew the hands that planted them, their oil would become tears” *3

In Greece, the annual olive harvest is commemorated with lively festivals, where families and communities come together to celebrate the age-old tradition of olive picking. This festive occasion not only highlights the importance of olive oil in the local cuisine but also serves as a reminder of the deep-rooted cultural significance of this precious commodity.

In Spain, the “Fiesta del Aceite” (Olive Oil Festival) is a celebrated occasion that brings communities together to commemorate the olive harvest. This festival is a testament to the integral role of olive oil in Spanish cuisine and culture, featuring traditional music, dance, and culinary demonstrations that reveal the versatility and significance of olive oil in the local cuisine.

In Lebanon, the season of oil harvesting spreads joy and hope among families and communities. It strengthens family relations as the whole family members cooperate and work on harvesting the olives from the fields.

Unlike Spain and Greece, in Lebanon, the harvesting season is not celebrated in festive ways, however, gathered families meeting at the meadow exchange talks, joyful moments, and sorrows while picking up the olives. They share the food and drinks mainly coffee, tea, or matte based on their desire. Kids roam around picking not only flowers but also edible herbs and eat them freshly from the meadow while playing around their parents. Grownups assist each other by harvesting the olives in several ways, by climbing the trees and hitting the olive branches using a naturally created stick called “mefrat”. Also, by picking the scattered olives around each tree the rain and hitting caused to fall on the soil. The season of harvesting olives not only brings family members together but also strengthens the society bonds every single year. Such activities may seem agricultural at first, but if we look deeply at the feelings experienced while doing so, we can feel the bonding between the community and the spirit of joy and reconnecting with mother nature be re-experienced every single year.

From a seed to an oil and more
The journey of creating olive oil from olives constitutes of several stages. From September to December the harvest season starts. First, the olive is picked from the trees by picking them by hand or hitting them with the hand-made stick “mefrat”. To spare time, long nets or canvases are spread under the trees which collect the fallen fruit. Secondly, they are put in big plastic bags. Later, the olive is sorted, the best is put aside to be salted and stored to become what is known as table olives, and the ripped ones are taken to the press to be turned into oil. There are a couple of techniques to extract the oil, the cold technique or cold pressed technique which is the traditional one using grindstones, and the warm technique.

The cold technique presses the olives using grindstones to grind the olives, reducing them to a paste from which the oil can be extracted. The paste is then spread onto round mats and stacked atop each other to be pressed. Olive oil begins to drip down the sides of the stack, collecting in a basin at the bottom of the press and then into a holding tank. Once drained, the olive mash is removed, and the process is repeated. Due to being impure and containing a fair amount of water it is left to settle in the holding tanks to separate the water from the oil. The press operator then adds water to the mix, allowing the oil to flood into the adjacent tank, leaving the impurities behind. This process is repeated several times until the cleanest possible oil is obtained. The olive oil is then stored in large clay pots or in stainless steel vats, in a cool and dark room away from light and heat sources. Moreover, the mash, made up of the skin and ground pits is not thrown away. It is used to create “mehel” a naturally made source of fuel that is used to light fires in winter. Also, the lesser quality oil is used to make soap or fuel for oil lamps.

The warm technique which is the second way to extract olive oils starts with cleaning the fruit then chopping it in a machine then stored in tanks to be filtered after which they are filled in bottles being purely filtered.

Connecting the Globe

No matter the region and culture and despite the ways olives are harvested, olives remain one of the fruits that connect nations all over the globe. It is used in almost every dish, either in the form of olive oil or olive seeds. Not only in diets, but olive oil is a main ingredient in many cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

References:

1. The Olive Tree - International Olive Council (internationaloliveoil.org)
   
2. https://oliveknowledge.com/the-symbolism-of-olive-trees-in-various-cultures/
   
3. What's The History Behind South Lebanon's Olive Trees? » Beirut.com