From cooking to massages, olive oil has made its way into our lives in every possible way. However, does this oil really have the magical qualities that people around the world boast about? Is it just marketing gimmicks that we tend to fall for? Let us find out!

Olive oil has been used in Mediterranean kitchens for centuries now. Homer, of Iliad & Odyssey, called it “liquid gold” while Greek athletes have rubbed it all over their bodies. It was fed to the bones of saints and martyrs, dead over time, through holes in their tombs.

For centuries now, the oil from olives has been considered to have medicinal properties, so much so that many civilizations sought to harness it for almost “magical” abilities. It has been associated with wealth and power, youth and fertility and has also been the sign of dominance in many wars and bloody battles. From Europe to Egypt to, now, the Americas and Asia, olive oil is one of the most sought after commodities amongst people of all social classes.

An Olive World

From over 20 million years ago, according to historical fossils found, ancestors of the olive tree were found in parts of Italy. It wasn’t until 5th century B.C. that there were signs of actual efforts to cultivate the olive tree. By 1500 B.C. olive oil had spread its roots, from Crete, to Syria, Palestine, Israel, Southern Turkey, Cyprus, Egypt, Southern Italy and Northern Africa.