笔记百科意大利橄榄油
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图/文
Carlo Marino
从约公元前1027年（相当于中国的周朝）以来，橄榄油被诗人誉为“液体黄金”，已经成为地中海历史的一部分。地中海，从大西洋西面延伸至亚洲东面的陆间海，使欧洲与非洲隔海相望。
新采摘的橄榄 Carlo Marino摄
橄榄油在地中海沿岸被认为是饮食中最基本、最独特的营养成分，可以保护身体健康，延年益寿。根据化石研究发现，橄榄树起源于2000万年前的意大利和地中海东部盆地。约7000年前，在地中海沿岸种下了第一棵橄榄树。
新采摘的橄榄 Carlo Marino摄
橄榄树（学名：Olea europaea），一种常青树，唇形目木犀科木犀榄属植物。意大利最古老的橄榄树估计约有3000~3500年的历史，位于地中海的意大利第二大岛屿撒丁岛东北区，这些橄榄树围长1.3米，高11.80米，总高14米。
橄榄树 Carlo Marino摄
自在意大利种植第一棵橄榄树以来，橄榄油历经几个世纪，成为意大利营养和地中海饮食的代名词。这种饮食方式基于地中海沿岸国家的传统美食。
通常，橄榄树的早熟品种于10月成熟，晚熟品种于12月和1月成熟。除了橄榄树品种外，理想的采摘收获时间还取决于季节性气候条件和栽培技术。
采摘下的橄榄 Carlo Marino摄
橄榄果实成熟时，油分含量逐渐增加，水分含量逐渐减少。因此，以最合适的方法适时采摘收获尤为重要。手工采摘方式最佳，因为可以摘选最优质橄榄并保留其完整性。
昂贵人工成本，使手工采摘在大批量生产中弊端重重。换言之，手工摘果采收在国内生产中仍然广泛存在，因为可以获得更优质的果实。工业方式收割是通过机械臂摇晃树干或树枝使橄榄振动脱落。缺点显而易见，但大大节约了人工成本。
加工橄榄的机器 Carlo Marino摄
如今，意大利橄榄油首屈一指，特级初榨橄榄油（EVOO）至少占整个橄榄油产量的80％，有时甚至占近90％。
意大利特级初榨橄榄油的主要特色在于其生物多样性。意大利拥有350多种不同橄榄品种（如果包括本地克隆品种，则达600种），每种橄榄都有其独特风味和特征。
判定橄榄油的品质是否上乘，可通过果香味、苦味和辛辣味鉴别，显明新鲜度和健康度。所有这些特点均得益于橄榄种植和收获阶段的正确种植方法、维护和细心呵护。
橄榄油 Carlo Marino摄
在美国超市或其他国家出售的所有带特级初榨标签的橄榄油中，约有70％掺假或不合格。 由于美国生产地不归IOOC（国际橄榄油理事会）管理，橄榄油生产商没有贴标规定，因此导致鱼目混珠的现象。
与劣质油，例如芥花籽油（产于加拿大并在北美种植的油菜品种）、葵花籽油、大豆油和玉米油混合的油被认为是掺假产品。
当橄榄油感官特性，即与刺激感觉器官特性的相关功能，如味道、颜色、气味和口感欠佳时，即鉴定为不合格品。
加工中的橄榄油 图片来自Rosaria Russo
受诸多因素影响，比如不恰当的收割方式和生产工艺、缺乏分离好坏橄榄的能力、粉碎工艺欠佳或使用高温水。果实曝晒过长，每次粉碎橄榄后粉碎机未清洗干净，导致橄榄发酵。近几年来，人们对特级初榨橄榄油的认识发生了很大的改变。
国际橄榄油理事会出台的化学分析标准覆盖面非常广，但是感官分析可以跟踪标准化学分析中无法检测到的瑕疵。整个感官概念对大部分人来说非常陌生，因此大多数生产商、经销商和消费者不擅于区分差异。
橄榄油 Carlo Marino摄
诸多重大国际橄榄油比赛中专业人才辈出。
化学分析非常关键，但也可通过气味和味道辨别橄榄油的优劣。化学实验室非人人可进之地，但所有人都具备嗅觉和味觉。橄榄油品尝和品闻-也许可以使用特制品尝杯或涂于温热无盐面包上，这是最快速识别和确认特级初榨橄榄油是否优质的方法，以及纪念生产者辛勤工作的最佳途径。
意大利土地得天独厚。炽热的太阳和干净明澈的大海，高山和清风对橄榄油的优质感官特性起着重大作用。橄榄油还具有宗教意义，象征着治愈、力量和奉献：神将人和土地分开，各司其职。这可能与橄榄油在古代用作药物有关。
英文版
Harvesting for olive oil in Italy
Since the time of Zhou dynasty, about 1027 B.C (周王朝 Zhouwángcháo), olive oil, or the “Golden Liquid” as the poets called it, has been part of Mediterranean history. Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean on the west to Asia on the east and separates Europe from Africa.
On the shores of the Mediterranean Sea olive oil was considered as a basic and unique nutritional component of the diet, helping to protect one’s health and adding to one’s longevity. According to fossil findings, the olive tree has its origins 20 million years ago in Italy and the East Mediterranean basin. The tree was planted first in the Mediterranean some 7000 years ago.
Olive tree (scientific name: Olea europaea) is an evergreen tree belonging to the genus Olea, the family Oleaceae and the order Lamiales. The oldest olive tree in in Italy is estimated between 3000 to 3500 years old. It is located in the North Eastern area of Sardinia, the second-largest Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea. It has a girth at 1.3 mt height of 11.80 mt. Its overall height is 14 mt.
Since the first olive tree was planted in Italy, olive oil has became throughout the centuries synonymous with the italian nutrition and with Mediterranean diet, a way of eating based on the traditional cuisine of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.
Olives usually ripen in October, if they are an early variety, or in December and January, if they are later. In addition to the type of olive tree, the ideal time for harvesting varies according to the seasonal climatic conditions and the cultivation technique used.
During the ripening of the olive there is a gradual increase in the percentage of oil and a progressive decrease in the aqueous one. It is therefore important that harvesting takes place at the right time and with the most suitable methods. Harvesting the olives by hand is the best because it is possible to select the best ones and preserve their integrity. Obviously, this is an impracticable technique in large productions, due to unsustainable labor costs. Hand picking of olives is instead very widespread at home production level, where it allows to obtain superior quality products. The industrial-type harvesting is done with mechanical arms that wrap around the trunk or around the large branches of the olive tree and strike them gently, favoring the spontaneous fall of the olives. There is no shortage of disadvantages which in many cases are however compensated by the considerable savings in labor costs.
Today, Italian olive oil is regarded as the best in the world, because extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) comprises at least 80%, and sometime even it makes up almost 90%, of overall olive oil production.
The main distinctive feature of Italian extra virgin olive oil lays in its biodiversity. Italy is home to over 350 different olive varieties (which increases to 600 if one includes regional clones), each of them characterized by their specific flavours and characteristics.
The high quality can be recognized mainly from the fruitiness, the bitterness and the pungency of the oil as well as its aromas, which show the freshness and health of the olives. All these extraordinary characteristics are the result of proper planting, maintenance and meticulous care in all the stages of olive production and harvesting.
About 70% of all the labelled extra virgin olive oils sold in United States supermarkets or in other countries are either adulterated or defective. Since the US does not belong to the IOOC (International Olive Oil Council), commercial producers of olive oil have no regulations on labeling and thus may distort its contents.
Oil is considered adulterated when it is mixed with oils of inferior quality, such as canola (oilseed rape of a variety developed in Canada and grown in North America), sunflower, soy, and corn.
Defective is when the olive oil has very bad organoleptic characteristics, that is features related to qualities (such as taste, color, odor, and feel) that stimulate the sense organs.
This can happen for a variety of reasons, including defective harvesting and production process, a lack of separation between good from bad olives, poor quality in the milling process or the use of high-temperature water.
Olives can ferment when they are exposed to the sun for a long period of time and when the milling machinery isn’t cleaned properly every time it is used for a different batch.
Over the last several years, there has been a huge shift regarding the understanding of extra virgin olive oil.
The chemical analysis standards which have been established from the International Olive Oil Council are quite broad, whereas the organoleptic analysis can trace defects undetectable from the standard chemical analysis.
This whole organoleptic concept is relatively new for most people, so the majority of the producers, distributors and consumers are not familiar enough to distinguish the differences.
There are experts in the most important international olive oil contests.
Chemical analysis is very important, but through its smell and taste, someone can distinguish the quality of an οlive oil. Not everyone may have access to a chemical laboratory but everyone has the senses of smell and taste.
Tasting and smelling the oil – perhaps using a special tasting glass or on a slice of warm, unsalted bread – is the best way to learn how to identify and recognize a good quality extra virgin olive oil, and to honour the hard work of the producers.
Italian land is truly blessed. Τhe luminous sun and crystal clear sea, the mountains and the wind all play vital roles that bring out all the high quality organoleptic characteristics of its οlive oils.
Olive oil also had religious symbolism for healing and strength and to consecration: God’s setting a person or place apart for special work. This may be related to olive oil ancient use as a medicinal agent.
