With the health benefits of olive oil on everyone’s lips and the movement toward more flavorful tastes, the time is right for this 8,000 year old tradition to become an irresistible, national force. Small wonder!
Olive oil is the gold standard of all oils. Loaded with antioxidants, it is monounsaturated fat and everyone needs fat in his or her diet. The Mediterranean Diet is considered the healthiest diet. The cornerstone and foundation of the Mediterranean Diet is extra virgin olive oil.
Olive oil is produced throughout the United States led by California (where 99% of olives are grown). Olive trees are also grown in Texas, Georgia, Arizona, Florida, Alabama, Oregon, and Hawaii (on the island of Maui).
Ever since our first “foodie” President Thomas Jefferson proclaimed, “ . . . the olive tree is surely the richest gift of heaven” and deemed olive oil a “necessity of life” (along with wine and books), olive oil was destined to have its own National Extra Virgin Olive Oil Day.
HOW TO OBSERVE
- Create your own olive oil experience or adventure
- Visit an olive orchard and olive mill.
- See the olives to olive oil process.
- Go olive oil tasting at a
specialty store.
Take photos of your experiences and your favorite way to Drizzle it on . . . your favorite foods or your favorite ways to use olive oil for health, beauty, and around the house and post the photos on social media using #extravirginoliveoilday.
