Olive odyssey: searching for the secrets of the fruit that civilized the world

When Julie Angus visits her relatives in Syria, where they continue a centuries-old tradition of making olive oil, she understands that the olive is at the very core of who they are. Her curiosity piqued, she begins to wonder about the origins and history of this fruit that has meant so much to them. Angus, her husband, and their ten-month-old son embark on a Mediterranean voyage to retrace the route of the Phoenicians and discover who ate the first olive and learned to make oil from it, why it became such an influential commodity for many of the greatest civilizations, and how it expanded from its earliest roots in the Middle East. As they sail the dazzling waters of the Mediterranean, Angus and her husband collect samples from ancient trees, testing them to determine where the first olive tree originated. They also feast on inky black tapenades in Cassis, nibble on codfish and chickpeas creamed in olive oil in Sardinia, witness the harvesting of olives in Greece, and visit perhaps the oldest olive tree in the world, on Crete. Accompanied By Her Husband And Their Ten-month-old Son, Angus Collects Samples From Ancient Trees To Determine Where The First Olive Tree Originated, Feasts On Inky Black Tapenades And Codfish Drizzled With Olive Oil, Witnesses The Harvesting Of Olives In Greece, And Visits Perhaps The Oldest Olive Tree In The World On Crete. The Result Is A Fascinating History And Biography Of This Most Influential And Irresistible Fruit. A Modern Boat For An Ancient Voyage -- Ancient Olive Groves -- Searching For Wild Olives -- An Ancient Food For Modern Foodies -- Coveting Virginity -- Illumination And Inspiration On The French Riviera -- Ancient Civilizations, Ancient Oil -- The Science Of Olives -- How To Live Like A Centenarian -- The Olive Solution -- Something Old And Something New -- The Birthplace Of The Olive -- Appendixes: A. Tips On Hosting An Olive Oil Tasting Party -- B. Top Questions About Olive Oil -- C. Olive Oil And Olive Recipes. Julie Angus. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 286-297). This Mediterranean travel memoir offers “an engaging mix of history, food travelogue, and botany lesson . . . There is much to enjoy here” (Library Journal). Inspired by her Syrian forebears’ intimate relationship with the olive, Julie Angus embarks on a voyage around the Mediterranean to unlock the secrets of the fruit that meant so much to them. Accompanied by her husband and their ten-month-old son, Angus collects samples from ancient trees to determine where the first olive tree originated; feasts on inky black tapenades and codfish drizzled with olive oil, among many other delights; witnesses the harvesting of olives in Greece; and visits perhaps the oldest olive tree in the world, on Crete. The result is a fascinating history and biography of this most influential and irresistible fruit. “It is a pleasure to try to keep up with this book; like its author, it covers an enormous amount of territory.” —Christopher Bakken, Wall Street Journal Introduction 1: Modern Boat for an Ancient Voyage 2: Ancient Olive Groves 3: Searching for Wild olives 4: An Ancient Food for Modern Foodies 5: Coveting Virginity 6: Illumination on the French Riviera 7. Ancient Civilizations, Ancient Oi 8: The Science of Olives 9: How to Live Like a Centenarian 10: The Olive Solution 11: Something Old and something New 12: The Birthplace of the Olive Epilogue