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Olive oil
With the simplest definition, olive oil is the separation of the water and solid components of the olive fruit. An olive oil that does not cause any change in the oil content of the olive and is obtained only by mechanical and physical applications, is a freshly squeezed fruit oil like a freshly squeezed fruit juice, its natural triglyceride structure has not changed, it is raw, natural and pure.
Olive Oil and Health
Olive oil is not a medicine, however, the protective/supportive effects of the compounds it contains on human health are supported by more and more scientific data day by day. There is growing evidence that these effects are more preventative than therapeutic.
Olive Oil Quality Criteria
The quality criteria of olive oil are made according to some chemical and physical measurements objectively, and subjectively according to the taste evaluation of experts (Sensory Properties/Panel tests).
Factors Affecting Quality and Content Properties of Olive Oil
There are multiple variables that have an impact on the quality of the oil at every stage of the process, from the geographical location and climatic conditions in which the olive tree grows, to the type of olive, from the cultivation and harvesting to the technology used to separate the oil, to the storage and preservation of the oil obtained in the final stage.
Olive Oil Ingredients
Olive oil does not have a fixed composition. Because the variety and amount of components that make up olive oil are affected by more than one factor.
Olive Oil Production
In its simplest form, production is a three-step process; Forming an olive paste by blasting/smashing/crushing, separating water and oil from solid material by applying pressure or centrifugation to the paste, separating oil and water in the final stage.
Olive-tree
Olea europaea L. sativa is a modified species of the wild olive named Olea europaea L. oleaster, which is from the olive family and is called “crazy olive” in our country.
Olive Tree Farming History
According to the historian Fernand Braudel (1902-1985), the borders of the Mediterranean region are the borders where the wild olive tree (Olea Europaea L. Oleaster) spreads.
Olive Oil Culture History I - From Prehistoric Times to the Roman Empire
Archaeological finds show that the primitive olive oil works were dated to BC. It shows that it goes as far as 3500. When it comes to the Iron Age (1000 BC), leveraged printing applications with wooden poles allow more oil to be separated from olives. In the civilizations of the Mediterranean basin, olive oil, which was first used in perfume production, with the spread of olive agriculture and the increase in production; It was first used in worship and funeral rituals, then for skin ointment and body cleansing, later it was used for fabric tanning, lighting, and making soap-like solutions. It is a culture that emerged later on that its use in kitchens as a food became widespread.
Olive Oil Culture History II - From the Roman Empire to the Present
In our civilization history, Roman peoples, who were considered to be experts in olive agriculture, olive oil production, olive oil trade and storage, ensured that a high level of oil was obtained from olives, classified olive types in a scientific sense and, for the first time in history, put olive oil quality criteria in writing. There is no data on olive oil production technology in the Middle Ages. With the industrial revolution that rose towards the end of the 1800s, today's modern olive oil production methods began to be used.
Olive and Olive Oil Myths I - Prehistoric Anthropological Preface
In the consciousness of the contemporary individual, myths are imaginary plots or fictional stories invented by their ancestors. Myths have no logic, but they contain power and holiness. Legends are cultural elements unique to humans, they were born from the collective consciousness and imagination of humanity. The olive tree is the Mediterranean counterpart of the ''Tree of Life'' symbolism, which is one of the oldest common cultural imaginations of humanity.
Olive and Olive Oil Myths II - Ancient Egyptian and Ancient Greek Myths
In ancient Egyptian legends, Isis, the goddess of marriage and love, taught the olive tree of the fertile Egyptian lands watered by the Nile. She is the mother, the symbol of love, protection, creative life and chastity, as the goddess of the sky, she is the goddess who gives light from the sky. In ancient Greek stories, the goddess Isis is named after the goddess Athena. His most distinctive quality is his ingenuity, the creator of civilization, inspiring all kinds of skilled workers (weavers, blacksmiths and potters at the time). It dominates art and wisdom, is a symbol of intelligence, war, peace and strategic thinking.
Olive and Olive Oil Myths III - Ancient Roman Myths
In Roman myths, a virgin priestess will assume the role of the goddess Athena in the myths of Ancient Greek civilization. In the content of the myth, there are elements from the Greek and Egyptian myths that were common at that time, the myth of Moses and the myths in neighboring geographies. This is an indication of the tolerance shown by the empire to the beliefs of polytheistic peoples. Roman peoples will come to question their belief in the mighty ''creator god'' in the course of history.
Olive and Olive Oil Myths IV - Anatolian Folk Stories and Beliefs
Trees considered sacred in Anatolia are, respectively, piynar (bonito), pine, hackberry (menengiç) and olive. Turkmens started their olive growing activities in XI. They will begin when they reach the Western Anatolian geographies after the century. The hero in Anatolian myths is the starling.
Olive and Olive Oil in Monotheistic Religions/Books
The oldest story in which the olive tree is the subject of the peoples of the Middle East, where the monotheistic belief rose, is related to the death and burial of Adam. When Adam's time of death comes, he asks God for mercy for himself and humanity, as a messenger, he sends his third son Seth to ask for mercy oil from the angel who is waiting at the gate of heaven, the archangel tells him to look at heaven three times.
Soap and Hygiene
According to some, the most important medical invention in human history is soap. It is the most used cleaning material today. In the historical process, personal cleaning practices, which were carried out before entering the temples, have evolved into a culture that has expanded from personality to cleaning the physical environment in which individuals live, with the historical change in human consciousness.
Soap Culture History I - Neolithic to Roman Empire
It is doubtful what the practices used by humanity for body cleansing were in prehistoric times and whether there were any habits of body cleansing. In the cities that emerged in the Neolithic period, before entering the temples, both spiritual and physical purification behaviors are the first indicators related to the cleaning culture and cleanliness awareness. The earliest known record of soapy solution production belongs to the Sumerians. To produce soapy solutions in Egypt; soda was obtained from lakes dried by the heat of the sun, additionally clay or steatite (soap stone) was used.
Soap Culture History II - Roman Empire Period
B.C. In the olive oil workshops dating back to the 6th century, the Ionians started the production of soapy products as cleaning materials. The ideas developed by natural philosophers during the Roman Empire brought into question the spiritual-based approach in medical practices, and ''hygienic'' practices in the rational sense are now a part of daily life culture. The word “sapo” is used for the first time in Roman literature in the work of Pliny the Elder (1st century AD) called “Naturalis Historia”. The construction of ''sapo'' is described in the work ''De Simplicibus Medicaminibus'' attributed to Galen of Pergamon (129-200 A.D.).
Soap Culture History III - From the Middle Ages to the Industrial Revolution
Alchemy; However, in the Middle Ages, Arab-origin alchemists and soap makers developed soap production using olive oil and other plant-based oils, and enriched the production culture by adding perfume and colorants to their soaps. Soap production has become a craft in the geography of Andalusia. In the geography of the Ottoman Empire, the Aegean islands, Aegean coastal cities and the cities of the Southeastern Anatolia Region will begin to be mentioned with soap houses.
Soap Culture History IV - From the Industrial Revolution to the Present
With the Industrial Revolution and the inventions in chemistry science, the time period when purer soaps were made, the soap production capacity increased and increased. Thus, soap, which is a consumption object as we understand it today, will be a cleaning object accessible to all segments of society. In our age; it has been understood that with cleaning habits, diseases and deaths can be reduced, soap is still the most effective weapon in the fight against diseases.