TUNISIAN OLIVE OIL

Olive Tree :
The Olive Tree (Olea Europea) is one of the most important plants in the Mediterranean basin.
It is an evergreen plant which grows in temperate climates and adapts easily to rocky soil. The Olive tree enjoys long life. Some plants are known to be over 2.000 years old.

The olive tree grows best in calcareous, hilly terrains, in temperate climates. It is a plants with few pretences. Its most dangerous enemy is the cold. If the temperature falls to 5 or 6 degrees below zero the roots of the tree risk irreparable damage which could even kill the entire tree. This is a grave loss especially when considering that an olive tree bears fruit only after five or six years of being planted.

Historical Notes :
For thousands of years olive oil has been prominent in all the great civilizations that have prospered in Tunisia. The olive tree was cultivated by the Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Carthaginians, the Romans and the Arabs, in a tradition that has been passed down from father to son ever since.
Olive cultivation in Tunisia dates back to the 8th century BC, even before the founding of Carthage by Queen Dido. The Phoenicians were the first to introduce this crop to North Africa.
In the Carthaginian period, olive cultivation started to spread on account of several advantages granted to olive-growers.
Romans continued the expansion of olive-growing stepped-up irrigation, olive oil extraction technique. Excavations at Sufeitula (present-day Sbeitla) and Thysdrus (El Jem) and Roman mosaics discovered in Sousse attest to the widespread culture of olive-trees throughout Tunisia.
Andalusian Arabs settled in Tunisia to take advantage of olive cultivation opportunities. Helps granted to olive-growers with low-fat imposition, encouraged them to bring out a huge territory by planting olive trees.
Since Phoenicians and through great civilizations that have prospered in Tunisia, olive cultivation occupied a prominent place in the country’s culture and economy.

Symbolic :
Jupiter chose the olive tree as a divine gift, placing a branch in Minerva's hands. It's for this reason that Mythology attributes the creation of the first tree to Minerva.
From ancient times olive oil was used for various purposes: athletes used it to massage their muscles to make them more supple; women used it to keep their skin looking young; it was thought to be a strengthening tonic which helped prevent baldness; and, with the addition of wine and spices it was used for cosmetic oils have been found which date back to the second millennium B.C.