Long story short - Part 2

Olive Oil in Modern Times

A revival of the olive oil industry occurred during the 12th century, after monks re-launched olive oil extraction. Olive groves spread again all over Italy, especially in Tuscany, where the resuscitated profitability of this market captivated the attention of the rising bourgeoisie. Olive oil price spiked. But back then, what was the place of olive oil in everyday life? It was certainly something to not be indulged, due to its value. The typical Medieval kitchens more commonly used fats from animal origin, especially lard. The only exceptions were during Lent, when Christians followed a strict vegetarian diet. This was different in the Southern part of Italy, where olive oil was already the primary source of fats.

 What followed was a surge in demand for olive oil – especially the Italian, considered the finest of all – now used also in British, French, Russian and German kitchens. In addition, many rising industries such as textile and soap manufacturing were absorbing a conspicuous amount of oil but, more importantly, throughout Europe millions of lamps were burning olive oil for lighting. Free trade pushed the production up, reinforcing the stability of olive oil farming, more lucrative than ever before. 

The Italian olive oil sector didn’t witness remarkable changes in the first decades of the 20th century, harvests just swinging between acceptable and bad. In the 1930s olive oil farming was boosted by new government policies, but Word War II soon interrupted these efforts.

In the aftermath of the war, both olive oil and Italian cuisine suffered from bad reputation, stereotypes, and prejudices. Judged poor and unrefined, the discerning palates favored Nordic tastes, considered more modern and fancy. For almost four decades, butter was treated as the best choice, until the 80s, when the reputation of olive oil, specifically extra virgin, improved dramatically.  As population grew, demand for olive oil kept increasing and, from the 19th century, the sector entered its first industrial phase. The Italian olive oil market maintained its predominance over the decades, but from the second half of the century adverse climate and unknown diseases brought to a large razing of olive groves.

The technological developments introduced in every step of the production resulted in an oil that was better in terms of flavor, shelf life, and health benefits. When the empirical studies uncovered the positive effects of the Mediterranean diet, extra virgin olive oil entered the spotlight as undoubtedly its most important ingredient. Extra virgin olive oil has now been vindicated by research showing its extraordinary beneficial effects, and the status of the noblest of oils is acknowledged among chefs, doctors, foodies and grandmas alike.