How olive oil became Europe’s ‘liquid gold’

As olive trees spread across the Mediterranean, olives became enormously valuable because of the myriad uses for olive oil. Not only was it prized for consumption and cooking, olive oil was also important medicinally; ancient Greeks used olive oil as soap, and Hippocrates called it ‘the great healer’ – frequently referring to its use as a remedy for many illnesses at the time. In the pages of Homer’s Iliad, the Greek poet refers to olive oil as ‘liquid gold’ in a passage where Achilles is washed with olive oil by damsels.

The discovery of jars of olive oil in tombs around Greece and even Egypt suggests that it was left with the dead to help their passing to the afterlife. It was used as fuel in lamps, and as anointment in important ceremonies. Olive trees were equally important – olive wreaths were given to victorious generals and athletes alike, and olive branches became a symbol of peace. As the sacred guardian of olive groves, Athena was given huge importance in the pantheon of Greek gods, so much so that Athenian citizens named their city Athens in their honour.

That significance continues into the Roman period, as do the myriad uses. Though much of Rome’s history was bloody, the olive tree continued to be a symbol of peace and prosperity. As the Roman Empire stretched far and wide, to the northern shores of modern-day France, Spain and North Africa, more olive groves were planted and cultivated and olive oil became even more widespread. Such was the appetite for olive oil in Rome, the city received a steady stream of boats laden with amphorae of oil, particularly from North Africa and Spain where the climate was perfect for olive growing. The remains of those amphorae can be seen at Monte Testaccio – a man-made mountain constructed from the thousands upon thousands of oil jars that still stands to this day.

Rome would eventually fall in the sixth century, but we still live on the foundation of Roman culture today. Roman roads still span swathes of Europe, Roman buildings still stand defiantly in old imperial towns, and the olive groves that were planted all over the Mediterranean continue to produce fruit. Take a look at the gnarled, twisted olive trees in Spain, Italy, Greece, the south of France, North Africa and Mesopotamia – these trees have stood here, in some cases, for 5,000 years. They grew the same olives that fed Ebla, that washed Achilles, that lit the houses of Rome at night.

As we know, not all olive oils are created equal. There’s a good reason why these groves have survived for millennia – they were highly valued by people who understood what makes good olives and olive oil. We may have evolved technologically in the last 2,000 years, but when it comes to producing quality olive oil, it pays to look back to our ancestors. That’s why Carapelli – in its quest to put great olive oil on your table – puts such an emphasis on following the wisdom of its ancestors. The production methods are all natural – olives are picked by hand, or carefully shaken from the branches before they go to the press. After pressing, Carapelli’s master blenders take the best oils from olives all over Europe and combine their flavours into rounded profiles. In working with those ancient groves, Carapelli is the latest in a long line of great olive oil makers that stretches back many thousands of years – it’s not just about producing the best quality olive oil possible, it’s also about maintaining a link to the past.