“Liquid gold,” Homer called extra virgin olive oil. And “the great healer” said Hippocrates. The Ancient Greeks believed the goddess Athena was responsible for creating the olive tree. With a history going back 6,000 years, olive plantings abound in the Middle East and Europe, and with these extensive plantings, the proven benefits of the Mediterranean diet, and international travel, the New World has embraced olive oil, too, in a way similar to table wine.
Understanding your oils
Olive oil is pure, cold-pressed olive juice, while wine is grape juice that has been fermented. Both can be tasted, assessed and enjoyed. Olive oil is extracted by first crushing the fruit,
