Olive Oil
Olive oil is a vegetable oil used in cooking that is extracted from the olive, the olive fruit. It is one of the pillars of the so called Mediterranean diet. It is known throughout the Mediterranean since ancient times, and there is evidence of its use in Egypt, Crete, ancient Greece, and so on. The olive juice is considered the healthiest fat for its high content of oleic acid, and several studies support the benefits that consumption of olive oil has in the prevention of various cancers. It is popularly known as “liquid gold” and has also been shown to have, among many others, rejuvenating properties.
The study of the properties of olive oil as well as olive cultivation is called olivicultura, and it is a branch of extracting vegetable oils such as olive oil or sunflower oil , peanuts, palm etc..
The province of Jaen in Spain calls itself the “World Capital of Olive Oil”, as the place with the highest concentration of olive trees and olive oil production in the world, thanks to places like Martos, Úbeda, Villacarrillo, Baeza, Baena and Villanueva del Arzobispo (this one in the province of Córdoba). Special mention should have the city of Martos, known as the “Cradle of the olive,” which earned the nickname for being “leading producer of olive oil in the world” and where there is a kind of olive own local (picual or marteña). Every two years, held in the city of Jaen, it takes place the International Olive Oil and Allied Industries Show(Expoliva).
