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G A S T R O N O M I C K V A R N E R
8
AN ANCIENT ELIXIR -
OLIVE OIL
Olive oil is the most frequently used
elixir ever pressed from any type of
plant. It is prepared in various ways
and has served the people of the
Mediterranean for four thousand years.
The fact that the inhabitants of the
Mediterranean region have the lowest
rate of heart disease is attributed to
their frequent use and consumption of
olive oil. Perhaps it is for this reason
that they considered olive oil to be holy.
Phoenician merchants brought olive
cultivation to Greece and Spain. The
Greeks brought it to the Italians. On our shores
of the Adriatic, we can find olive trees that are
over two thousand years old. Recognizing
the value of this tree and its fruit, the people
are cultivating an increasing number of
olive trees in Primorje. The fruit has always
been esteemed for its taste and nutritional
properties. Olives are salted, baked, boiled,
pressed for oil, and on the island of Unije
ground into an exceptional paste. Besides
being a balm for the heart, olives are also good
for the soul and stomach. They are easy to
digest and healthful, a fact well known in the
Mediterranean. In this part of the Primorje-
Gorski KotarKvarner region, almost
no other oil is used in food preparation
(vegetables, pasta, fish...) besides olive
oil, because it imparts a distinctive flavor,
aroma and lightness. Formerly considered
a heavy oil, today, thanks to new advances
and technology, olive oil has become light,
fragrant, delicious, desirable and even
more healthful!