The olive is the fruit of the olive tree (Olea europaea) and is an important part of the agriculture and culinary tradition of many countries in the Mediterranean region.[1]
It is unclear how long olives have been domesticated, but references to olives in the Iliad indicate that they have likely been farmed since at least around 800 to 900 BC.[2]
References
- ↑ http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/olive.html
- ↑ Pierre Vidal-Naquet, Le monde d'Homère, Perrin 2000, p19