the olive blog

Olioteca

In the Australian Elizabeth Meryment presents her A to Z of culinary trends  including the following:

(E)xtra Virgin Olive Oil: Olive oil has been big for a long time, but Australian chefs are taking their obsession with it to another level. At Pendolino, in Sydney's historic Strand Arcade, chef Nino Zoccali's menu details the exact oil he uses in each dish. He's even established an olioteca, or olive oil shop, beside the dining room.

Australian Olive Grove Raids

Thieves have have been targetting olive groves in Australia where there strip all the fruit in overnight raids. More here at The Australian.

Australian code of practice

Australia is implementing an industry code of practice, which will include a new, more advanced olive oil chemistry test in conjunction with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. More here in the Canberra Times.

Great Olive Oil Heist

Australian police have dubbed the theft of olive oil in Melbourne the Great Olive Oil Heist. Some AUD700,000 worth of imported Moro olive oil was stolen. More here at The Age.

Australian Olive Association

The Australian Olive Association can now legally represent state councils. More here. Meanwhile large scale agribusiness in Australia, reliant on the Murry Darling river system for their mega-groves, will be hoping their trees are well enough established to survive without irrigation.

Tax Chop

The Australian Government is reported to be about to axe certain tax incentives which have seen mega plantations, including olive trees, develop in that country. More here at The Australian

Historic Adelaide Olive Tree Walks II

In the previous post the olive blog noted the growth in tourism surrounding the industry and possibly a world first for Adelaide South Australia which has created two historic walking trails around the cities parkland planting of historic trees.  The trails maps can be downloaded as PDF files from Craig Hill's website devoted to the history of the South Australian industry here.  Hill's history of plantings in and around Adelaide can be read here.

• Walking tour 1: Adelaide's East Parklands This walk connects many of the surviving historic olive trees in and near Adelaide's East Parklands.
• Walking tour 2: Adelaide's Central Parklands and River Torrens This walk includes many of the earliest, surviving olive trees close to Adelaide, along the River Torrens, in North Adelaide, to the Old Adelaide Gaol.

Historic Adelaide Olive Tree Walks I

Olive oil tourism is a large and growing business. The Italian Olive oil association estimated it was worth 1.8 billion euros to the Italian economy in 2006. In Italy and California there are now a growing number of olive tasting and tourism trails.  In the previous post, searching for historic labels, the olive blog revisited Craig Hill's excellent site on the history of the South Australian industry. Adelaide, the capital of the State, has established possibly a world first with two historic walking trails dedicated to the earliest plantings of olive trees in the city.

An olive tree seedling was brought from Europe with the first settlers to South Australia. The roles George Stevenson and John Bailey played in the 1840s are recorded here by Craig Hill. In any case the climate and terrain immediately prompted memories of the Mediterranean and its horticulture and agriculture. George William Francis, (1800-1865, pictured) who lived in France prior to immigrating to South Australia, made the first olive oil in South Australia from Bailey's garden for which he won an honourable mention at the great Exhibition of London in 1851. He later became In the superintendent of the State's Botanic Gardens and became the first Director when the gardens were officially opened to the public in 1857. In the same decade Sir Samuel Davenport began planting trees and had established a commercial grove by the 1860s. Many olive trees began to be planted in and around Adelaide's parklands and today it is possible to do two walks around the city's historic trees. Next post outlines the walks.

Californian Olive Season Part 2

In an article at Capital Press Brian Kenny discusses the advantages of fresh and local in marketing California's olive oil production vis a vis imports from Europe and Australia.

Jamie Oliver on Australian olive oil

Jamie Oliver has endorsed Australian olive oil saying its quality is now as good as anything produced in Europe.