Olive and Olive Oil
Syria has become the world's fourth biggest producer of olive oil and second among the arab producers.
The edible oil was grown on the island of Crete about 3500 BC ; the semitic peoples apparently cultivated it as early as 3000 BC . The trees start bearing in 4 to 8 years , but full production is not reached for 15 to 20 years " Enc. Britannica 1974 "
The Virgin Olive Oil is produced from crude virgin olive oil carefully selected and supplied directly from the olive growing areas in Northern Syria and along the Mediterranean coast.
Raw olive oil is naturally filtered, polished and blended to be ready for the packaging stage.
The filtered oil is then automatically bottled in 1.00 , 0.75 , 0.50 and 0.25 Lt glass bottles or canned in 3.00 and 5.00 Lt metallic cans in several grades " Extra Virgin , Virgin Grade 1 according to the latest international standards.
The product is characterized, among others, by a unique odour, savory taste and typical flavour that would make it a preference to the consumers worldwide.
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Inquiries are welcomed and samples are available upon request .
The Federation of Syrian Chambers of Agriculture is made up of 380000 farmers from the private sector.
Recipes |
L'olive en Syrie
La culture des oliviers est l'une des cultures les plus anciennes en Syrie qui est 6ème
producteur mondial d'olives.
Cette culture, essentielle dans l'économie syrienne, ne se limite plus aux régions
traditionnelles : Alep et Idleb (nord du pays), Tartous et Lattaquié (côte), la Ghouta
de Damas et l'oasis de Palmyre (sud). Aujourd'hui on cultive les oliviers partout en Syrie
offrant ainsi une plus grande variété de genres d'olives et élevant la superficie
plantée d'oliviers à 435.5/mille hectares plantés de 57 millions d'oliviers dont 32
millions sont en âge de production.
Ainsi, la plantation des oliviers en Syrie est répartie comme suit:
Nord et côte : Zones traditionnelles.
Centre et sud, à l'exception de la Ghouta de Damas et de l'oasis de Palmyre : Zones
d'extension.
Est : plantation débutante.
La production de la Syrie en olives en 1996 a atteint le chiffre de 650 mille tonnes avec
une augmentation de 553% par rapport l'année 1971 (117 mille tonnes).
L'évolution de la culture d'oliviers a entraîné une augmentation du nombre des
pressoirs et de la production de l'huile.
En effet, la production de la Syrie en huile d'olive s'est chiffrée dans l'année 1996 à
125 mille tonnes, augmentant ainsi de 657% depuis l'année 1971 (19 mille tonnes).
Le nombre des pressoirs en 1996 était de 751. Leur capacité de production est de 8543
tonnes/jour.
Ces installations comprennent 24 unités qui produisent entre 8 et 15 mille tonnes d'huile
.
En 1980, le ministère de l'agriculture et de la réforme agraire a créé une
administration centrale (bureau de l'olive) chargée de veiller sur le développement et
l'amélioration de cette culture en assurant aux planteurs la technologie moderne et les
informations sur les dernières études et recherches la concernant.
Ce bureau collabore dans ce but avec les différentes administrations spécialisées dans
le pays, ainsi qu'avec les organisations arabes et internationales concernées.
(source : SANA )
Olives ( Zitoon )
Green and black and light brown, olives are the native fruit of the Middle East. The olive tree grows abundantly in the arid climate and sandy soil. Sacred to the people, the olive tree is a source of wealth and food. The fruit, eaten with Syrian bread, is a staple to both the rich and poor. Long thin poles are used by men and women to beat the fruit from the tree, while children climb the trees, shaking the boughs. To keep the trees from being damaged by the beating and shaking, a full crop is picked only every other year.*Olive oil, delicately flavored at the first pressing of ripe olives, is used in Syria and Lebanon for cooking and for making soap. Some of thelarger olive trees yield as much as 12 gallons of oil. Olive oil of various qualities is exported all over the world.
Sold as souvenirs in Jerusalem, Palestine, and Damascus are many articles carved in olive-wood.
Care of Black Olives (Zitoon aswad )
Middle Eastern food stores feature olives in huge earthen barrels topped with wooden covers. The olives are preserved in salt and water. They can be purchased by the pound from stores. Olives will keep for many days.
Just rinse with cold water and fill a1/2 gallon jar with the olives .Pour Cold water over the olives.Add 1/4 cup olive oil and 3 table-spons vinegar. To serve, place olives in bowl and add a little olive oil and lemon juice.
Fresh Gren Olives (Zitton akthar)
Slash each olive on one side. Place in crock. Sprinkle salt over olives. Mix every day for 8 days. After 8 days, salt will draw.Empty liquid from crock. Cover crock with platter. Olives are ripe when color turn dark. When ripe, add olive oil and lemon juice. If you have dried thyme available, try mixing it with the olives. ( source Helen Corey : The Art of Syrian Cookery - 1962 )