HAPPY NATIONAL OLIVE DAY!
Did you know June 1st is National Olive Day? Created in the United States, it’s a day olives are honored and given special recognition! Learn about their origins, health benefits and, of course, enjoy them with friends and family. Olives are not only tasty but healthy too! They can be used in so many recipes, from salads, appetizers and even meals.
Olives are the fruits of olive trees and their botanical name is ‘olea europaea’. Harvest of olives usually starts during fall and ends during winter. In warmer regions, they harvest olives even towards the end of winter since the climate allows it. Olives were originally cultivated in the Mediterranean region. Olive trees have successfully grown in other regions with similar climates to the Mediterranean, such as those of South America and California.
Most olive trees nowadays are cultivated for their olive oil. Approximately 10% of worldwide harvest is sold as table olives with 800 million olive trees cultivated for commercial purposes. Since the popularity to olive oil, olive trees are now abundant all over the world.
So what else is there to know about olives? Well, here’s a list of interesting facts you may not know about these versatile fruits!
National Olive Day Facts
Olives are extremely nutritious and beneficial to our health. They contain a healthy amount of good fat, minerals and lots of vitamins. The phenolic compounds benefit the cardiovascular and nervous systems and have the ability to prevent tumors and cancers.
Wild olive tree leaf fossils was found by archaeologists dating back around 20 million years!
Contrary to most other fruits, most olives are not edible when harvested and they need to undergo brining in order to eliminate their bitterness. They can still be eaten after being harvested, but they will taste really bitter. In Crete they use rocks to slightly crack small olive varieties and then cure them for as little as 3 days. These are called ‘kopanistes’ or ‘tsakistes’ and they are really yummy!
The oldest living olive tree on Earth, can be found in Crete island of Greece, and it’s considered to be 3000 to 5000 years old!
According to ancient Greek Mythology, goddess Athena won the competition from God Poseidon over the patronship of the city of Athens, by offering an olive tree to Athenians.
Ways to Celebrate National Olive Day
Eat Olives
Incorporating olives in your diet is easy. You can have them plain on your table as an appetizer or as a tapenade. Another favorite is adding them to your salad. Not only Greek salad goes with olives! Additionally, there are so many recipes for dishes that you can cook on National Olive day, including olives, such as pasta, pizza and olive breads. We recommend eating olives as frequently as possible because they help you stay healthy and most of all, they are delicious!
Different Varieties of Olives
Not all olives are the same and not all olives are used as table olives. Some olives are used for olive oil only and some can be used for both olive oil extraction and table olives. There are many varieties, some of which are larger than others, some are harvested when still green, some when black. Most famous Greek varieties include Kalamon, Koroneiki, Throumba, Mouratolia and Konservolia. Olives undergo different curing processes, making them more or less salty, some are stuffed inside and some can be eaten almost ripe, with minimal curing of 3 days.
Taste the Difference
There are so many varieties of olives that your grocer will possibly have more than one variety. Tasting various olives before buying is very usual in Greek markets. That way you'll know which ones you prefer and which ones you don't.
Celebrate on Social Media
Share photos of your favorite olives and recipes online to show the world your appreciation for one of the oldest fruits on Earth!
Plan a Gathering
Invite your friends over to celebrate National Olive Day! The easiest way to enjoy olives is at a party with friends and family.
Plant an Olive Tree
It’s best to directly buy a small olive tree cutting and watch it grow. Planting from the seed will most likely not succeed, as you’ll need seeds from non cured olives and you’ll also need to graft it later. Who knows, maybe someday it will grow enough and you'll have a big olive tree in your yard! Also, did you know you can make an olive tree bonsai? A good method is to plant your olive tree in a larger pot so that it starts growing freely and once it has reached the desirable size, you start pruning and then transfer it in a bonsai pot. Make sure to only buy cuttings from garden centers, nurseries or farmer’s markets.
So celebrate National Olive Day today and don’t forget to visit our shop for our yummy Extra Virgin Olive Oils!