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Of olive fruit and oil

Historical trivia apart, the small bitter oval fruit, olive, and its juice, olive oil is quite healthy too

Photo: Bloomberg News

BOTTLED Oil extracts from the fruit

Ever wondered why the white dove carrying an olive sprig symbolises peace (and hope)? The answer stems from the legend of Noah''s Ark, wherein the white dove returns with an olive twig in its beak as evidence of land and vegetation - peace with God and hope of future - indicating an end to the incessant rain, floods and God''s wrath.

So highly valued was the olive tree, that Moses is said to have excused those who knew cultivation of this tree from military service! Even the ancient Greek revered the olive tree greatly. In fact, at one point only virgin boys were chosen to pick the fruit - one at a time. As per the legend, the Greek Goddess of wisdom, Athena, created the first olive tree winning her the honour of having a city named after her - Athens. And the first Olympic torch was a flaming olive branch. Rulers, victorious Olympic athletes and brave Roman soldiers were venerated with wreaths or crowns of olive and by anointment with the oil. As the tree can live up to 1,500 years, it was associated with immortality. In fact, the tree purportedly planted by Plato is still alive (although now it bears no more fruit).

Historical trivia apart, the small bitter oval fruit, olive, and its juice, olive oil (yes, olive oil is technically a fruit juice) is quite healthy too. The oil contains mono-unsaturated fats that actually help reduce the cholesterol build-up in the body. Moreover, one-tablespoon of olive oil contains 1.6 mg vitamin E, a natural antioxidant. Being a fruit juice, it is easily digested by the body. In fact, when spilt, it washes off easily, no hot water or lots of detergents required for clean-up unlike with other oils and fats. The Mediterranean people who use olive oil extensively attribute their healthy hearts (there are comparatively fewer instances of heart-related ailments there), good complexion, smooth supple skin, and lustrous shiny hair to olive oil - just as our Keralites swear by coconut oil!

Until recently, olive oil in India was predominantly used as baby massage oil and almost never as a condiment in the kitchens, except maybe in a very limited few upscale restaurants that dished out the authentic Mediterranean or Italian cuisine. And then came the Pizza invasion. Along with the American branded pizza joints, some exclusive eateries began serving bona fide Italian pizzas and cuisine, which calls for extensive use of olives and olive oil for that distinct subtle original flavour.

The olive fruit is green when unripe and black when ripe. It is usually `cured' with salt to eliminate its bitterness. In contrast, a lot of factors contribute to the taste and colour of olive oil, like geographical settings, climatic conditions, season and maturity of the fruit while plucking, the method of extracting the oil... . The best olive oils are cold pressed with premium being `extra virgin oil' (having acid content of 1%), then comes `superfine' (1.5 %), fine (3 %) and `virgin' (4 %). These are used in salad dressings, drizzled plain on bread and toast or for mild stir-frying/seasoning on a low to medium flame. `Pure' oil is extracted with heat, and `Pomace' oil is extracted with heat under pressure. These are used for massaging and deep-frying as the heat invariably destroys most of the delicate flavours.

Good virgin oils can get rancid if exposed to excess light or heat; it is best stored tightly closed in a cool dark place. In India, imported brands like Colavita, Leonardo, Bertolli, Fragata, Figaro and Costa d'Oro are available.

UMA CHODAVARAPU

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