Olive Lexicon
The olive is one of the world's oldest cultivated plants and has shaped the landscapes and traditions of the Mediterranean for thousands of years. But what makes an exceptional extra virgin olive oil? Which olive varieties exist, how does an olive tree grow, and how can you recognise outstanding quality?
Our Olive Encyclopedia offers valuable insights, fascinating background information and practical knowledge about olives, olive oil and olive trees – clearly explained and continuously expanded.
Oil branch ‘Noah's Ark’
THE DOVE WITH THE OLIVE BRANCH (GENESIS 8:11)
After the flood, Noah's dove returns with an olive branch – since then, the olive branch has been regarded worldwide as a symbol of peace.
Oil = God's spirit, healing, election
‘But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God.’ (Psalm 52:10)
Olea europea
The botanical name for the olive tree.