The arrival of the olive in Europe occurred in Greece about 3,000 years ago. They were the first Europeans to cultivate and use olives as a major part of their diet. But the Italians were the second country to realize just how versatile and important the olive could be in improving their diet.
Unquestionably, Greece produces the best olives in the world. In fact, Greece is the top producer of edible olives. Greek Olives are an important part of Greek cuisine and Greek culture. Olives are found in Greek salad and in countless other Greek dishes.
First cultivated along the border between Syria and Turkey, olives spread throughout the Mediterranean becoming a dietary staple and a pillar of Italian cuisine. Archeological and scientific evidence shows that these tasty little orbs have been cultivated for millennia.
The wild olive tree originated in Asia Minor where it is extremely abundant and grows in thick forests. It appears to have spread from Syria to Greece via Anatolia (De Candolle, 1883) although other hypotheses point to lower Egypt, Nubia, Ethiopia, the Atlas Mountains or certain areas of Europe as its source area.
The first cultivation of the olive tree worldwide took place in Greece, and more specific in Crete. This happened in about 3500 BC in the Early Minoan times. In this period the olive tree was in a wilder form in comparison to the tree we know today.
In Italy as well, the olive tree, in its wild form, has existed for a long time. There is growing evidence of the olive tree already being present in the country between VIII-VII B.C. Currently, the most accepted hypothesis suggests that olive cultivation in Italy was brought by the Greeks.
Where in the world did the olive originate? The olive was native to Asia Minor and spread from Iran, Syria and Palestine to the rest of the Mediterranean basin 6,000 years ago. It is among the oldest known cultivated trees in the world - being grown before the written language was invented.
The olive tree (Olea europaea) was introduced from the Mediterranean area as a tree crop. It is now established in many parts of South Australia, causing a major problem in native vegetation.
In 1836, several olive trees arrived in South Australia aboard the HMS Buffalo with Governor Hindmarsh and his secretary George Stevenson. These trees were the beginning of the South Australian olive oil industry.
As you'll learn below, most varieties of olives were cultivated since ancient times in Greece, and are native to the country. The fossilized remains of olive brunches have been found in Kaldera (in Santorini island), with their origins traced back 60,000 years ago.
Gaeta Olives (Bulk)
Round, black olives called Gaeta are part of Southern Italian traditions.
Typically the term "Kalamata" legally refers to a region of Greece where these olives are grown, but a few countries (mainly outside the United States and European Union) use the name for such olives grown anywhere, even outside of Greece.
According to Greek mythology the olive tree was brought into being by the goddess Athena who won a contest with Poseidon god of the sea.
True Kalamata Olives are found exclusively in the Peloponnese region, in the south of Greece.
Named for the city in Greece where they were first grown, kalamata olives — like all olives — come from the olive tree and must be cured in a specific way before they can be eaten. Kalamata olives, in particular, only grow in the Peloponnese Peninsula in Greece.
The famous pale green oval Halkidiki olive is grown and harvested exclusively in northern Greece on the Halkidiki Peninsula. Their plumpness and meaty bite with a fruity, briny, buttery and pleasantly sour flavour make them a great table olive.
Spain was the leading country in terms of per capita consumption, among the main consumers of olive, followed by Greece (X kg/year), Morocco (X kg/year), Italy (X kg/year) and Turkey (X kg/year).
The combination of Spain's ideal climate and location makes it the best country for cultivating mouthwatering olives. You may be wondering which region of Spain exports olive oil worldwide – that would be Andalucía, a coastal area in the country.
Olive farming in Australia dates back to the early 1800's most probably with its beginnings in New South Wales. Historians believe that the many ships arriving on our shores carried olive trees most of which were planted mainly in South Australia and Victoria.
The history of olive farming in Australia dates back to the early 1800's. Olives were probably first planted in groves around 1805 in Parramatta near Sydney.
The Kalamata variety has been grown in Australia for well over 100 years. Australian Kalamata table olives and Kalamata olive oil have been marketed domestically and internationally for over a century.
Australian olive production snapshot:
Olives are grown throughout temperate South Eastern and South Western Seaboard regions of the continent. However, two regions in particular account for an estimated 70 per cent of Australia's current production i.e. north-central Victoria and north of Perth Western Australia.
The Olive tree of Vouves in Crete, Greece is probably the oldest olive tree in the world and it still produces olives. It is confirmed to be at least 2000 years old based on tree ring analysis, but it's claimed to be between 3000–4000 years old!
Olive trees, 'Olea europaea,' are the oldest fruit trees and certainly are one of the most important fruit trees in history.
Technically speaking, they are a fruit as they contain a seed and grow from the flower of a plant. However, its savoury taste means that often people will refer it to as a vegetable, for it would rarely be used in any form of sweet cooking.