Randy’s 2nd Blog Post

For my second class lead discussion I was paired up with Ella Rose on the topic of olive oil in the Mediterranean. This was something our class had some previous knowledge about visiting an olive oil refinery and museum. At the refinery we learned about modern and traditional methods of making oil, that was also expanded on in the text with the many ways it was utilized. 

Olive oil has become a part of the Italian identity and is present in all the meals we’ve had so far. Part of our discussion talked about the health benefits of the olive oil in the Italian diet including better digestion, calcium, and skincare benefits. This was something I was partially aware of especially in cosmetics, as I like to buy olive oil soap for its light smell and longevity.

 

Something new that I learned and found super interesting is just how long the olive tree can live, and its durability to the elements. Being an evergreen variety the tree doesn’t lose its leaves seasonally, and the text mentions its durability to many types of soils. It also talks about how one tree could be sustained for centuries if taken care of, and even propagated or grafted to produce more trees. This made me curious, especially after our olive oil tasting, whether or not you can really taste history, and the likelihood of the same flavors we tried being the same as those in antiquity.