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OLIVE OIL
My mamma simply cannot set the table without finding a spot for the bottle of olive oil. She tried many different kinds over the years before she found the perfect one. Grandmother used to tell us to mix a few drops of olive oil with honey if we had a sore throat. We could safely say that our entire lives and our memories are drizzled with olive oil, the very same olive oil that is in the majority of our favourite dishes. It could take hours to list all of its properties. Olive oil prevents and cures. Just a few of its characteristics include protection for the stomach and the intestines as well as the nervous system. It can prevent heart attacks, and it is an elixir for your skin and hair. This Mediterranean diet staple has historically been used by many cultures as more than just an ingredient. For Catholics, olive oil is a symbol of peace, the ancient Romans used it as a bargaining chip, and for athletes competing at the Parthenon it was a prize that was just as valuable as gold. Epic poems and philosophers' writings talk about olive oil. Homer calls it "liquid gold". Over the centuries, olive oil has become an essential element in our culture and on our table.
