The Science of Olives
According to a biological research olive trees were cultivated in the eastern Mediterranean between 8000 and 6000 years ago. Actually, according to botany the olive is a fruit with a high nutritional value! For this reason, olives played a significant role in humanity’s history. In general, the olives and their invaluable product, olive oil, both are rich in antioxidants and healthy fatty acids. That’s another reason, foods technology scientists write specific books for them! In Greece it’s the harvest season now and olives are the talk of the village in every kafenio. In other words, let’s talk about the science of olives!
Olives Harvest Season in Lefkada and Greece
There are many olive varieties in Greece. In particular, there are edible olives and those which are for olive oil production exclusively. Also, there are green olives, black olives, with round shape or not, all depending on the variety. The best olive variety for oil is the Koroneiki that comes from Crete. The best edible variety is the Kalamon that comes from Kalamata area of Peloponnese. If you love eating olives then you are lucky. By consuming olives weekly you add years to your life. Olives are good for your heart. Yet, you should be careful with the salt if you have a high blood pressure. In particular, the salt comes from the fermentation procedure. The olives from the tree have a quite bitter taste. So, they need a rinse with fresh water in a bowl every day for at least 10 days. After that, you need to keep them in brine which lowers the pH and changes the taste of the fruit. And here comes the talk in a kafenio at a Greek village. How much salt you add in the bowl? Asking three scientists of olives in a kafenio and you have three different answers!
Let the science of olives speak in Greek kafenia!
LEFKASEABNB, we love hosting you every summer in beautiful Lefkada!