A cruet of olive oil (www.wikipedia.org)

Olive oil

Olive oil is a vegetable oil obtained from the olive (Olea europaea), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps, and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps. Olive oil is regarded as a healthy dietary oil because of its high content of monounsaturated fat (mainly oleic acid) and polyphenols.

According to legend, the city of Athens obtained its name because Athenians considered olive oil essential, preferring the offering of the goddess Athena (an olive tree) over the offering of Poseidon (a spring of salt water gushing out of a cliff).         (www.wikipedia.org)

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• Production of Olive oil
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Page updated 30.3.2007