understanding olives

I have developed a great respect for olives, their trees and their oil. In particular, for the Taggiasca olive, which is grown between Albenga and Monaco from sea level up to 600m. It is a tiny olive with a great nutty flavour and a beuatiful almost green coloured oil.

I have become accustomed to the way they are grown on terraces all the way up the steep slopes of Liguria. It seems that in the past, beautiful stone walls were built to create small flat terraces from which people could tend the trees. These terraces then create grassy areas underneath the silvery green of the olive trees - it seems their leaves really reflect a silvery light in the winter sunshine.

There is a busy production time during winter when the olives are harvested and quickly milled for their oil. It seems as if the harvesting methods have not changed for generations - large nets are placed on the ground at the base of the trees and along the flat terraces and roads - and then the trees are shaken so that the olives fall into the nets.

These olives are then collected - whether they are green or black - and then fed into the many local mills that exist in every small village. It seems that large stones are used to crush the olives and then they are pressed to release their valuable oil - which is collected in a thin golden trickle.

I feel so lucky to have seen this process in action in Ezzio's mill in Poggialto - and appreciative to Domenica for giving me a bottle of totally fresh olive oil - direct from the large vats collectd the day before...