Lesson 4:
Olive oil
Italy produces 7.6% of the world′s olive oil production. Major Italian producers are the regions of Calabria and, above all, Apulia. In Apulia, the villages of Carovigno, Ostuni and Fasano are where you can find olive trees that are 3000 years old. In some villages of Salento, the cultivation and care of olive trees is a fine art with a long history: from pruning to harvesting, from grinding to consumption.
The Staples of the Mediterranean Diet – the health benefits of which are well-known – are bread and olive oil. The Italian landscape is characterized, from north to south, by golden wheat fields and green olive groves – where different types of bread and high-quality olive oils are produced. Italy produces 7.6% of the world′s olive oil production. Major Italian producers are the regions of Calabria and, above all, Apulia. In Apulia, the villages of Carovigno, Ostuni and Fasano are where you can find olive trees that are 3000 years old. In some villages of Salento, the cultivation and care of olive trees is a fine art with a long history: from pruning to harvesting, from grinding to consumption.
For further information, visit Città dell′Olio - Italian National Olive Oil Association.