Global Arab Network | Tunisian Olive Oil – Heritage of the past, wealth of the future

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Tunisian Olive Oil – Heritage of the past, wealth of the future

- Hannan Taha

Sunday, 06 June 2010 09:44

For thousands of years, olive oil had been prominent in all the great civilizations that have prospered in Tunisia. The olive tree was cultivated by the Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Carthaginians, the Romans and the Arabs, in a tradition that has been passed down from father to son ever since.

Based on this historical heritage, Tunisia promotes its variety of olive oil by organizing Tunisia Olive Oil Expo, the first international olive oil exhibition, which will be held from June 8 to 10, 2010, in Yasmine Hammamet in Tunisia.

According to Mrs. Lamia Chekir, Director General of the Technical Packaging Centre (Pacteck), the exhibition is part of the promotion campaign of the packaged olive oil financed by the Fund for the Promotion of Packaged Olive oil.

Mrs. Chekir, held a press conference in Tunis, in which she said that Tunisia Olive Oil Expo aims at making better known the Tunisian offer of packaged olive oil and promoting meeting opportunities and partnership between suppliers and potential buyers.

For his part, Mr. Zakaria Ahmed, Director General of Food Industries focused on the importance of this event in the promotion of Tunisian olive oil on growth markets such as the United States, the largest importer of this product.

Tunisia exported during the first five months of 2010, 3, 750 tons of packaged olive oil against 2, 900 tons during the same period in 2009, accounting for 29%.

It also seeks to export 7,500 tons of packaged olive oil by the end of 2010, representing 7% of the overall exports of this product.

Tunisian virgin olive oil is well known for its significant health benefits and nutrient qualities. Low on cholesterol and fat, it is known to reduce the risk of coronary diseases, controlling blood sugar and inhibiting the growth of cancers.

Olive cultivation in Tunisia dates back to the 8th century BC, even before the founding of Carthage by the Queen Dido. The Phoenicians were the first to introduce this crop to North Africa.

In the Carthaginian period, olive cultivation started to spread an account of several advantages granted to olive-growers.

Romans continued the expansion of olive-growing stepped up irrigation, olive oil extraction techniques. Excavations at Sufeitula (present-day Sbeitla) and Thysdrus (El Jem) and Roman mosaics discovered in Sousse, attest the widespread culture of olive-trees throughout Tunisia.

Tunisia is the largest olive oil producer outside the European Union, and comes fourth in the world following Spain, Italy and Greece.

Since ancient times, olive oil was used for various purposes: Athletes used it to massage their muscles to make them suppler, women used it to keep their skin looking young, it was thought to be a strengthening tonic which helped prevent baldness, and with addition of wine and spices, it was used for cosmetic.

The collection of the archaeological and ethnographic objects and utensils attest the importance of olive oil in the everyday life and people’s art living throughout the History of Tunisia.

Global Arab Network

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