How It All Started: The earliest traces of wild olive trees date back to the Bronze Age, some 15,000 years ago. But the clearest early evidence of cultivation of the olive has been found in what today is Syria, dating to 6,000BC.

In the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors took olive seedlings to the New World and planted them in Mexico, Peru, Argentina and Chile. Later, in the 18th century, missionaries planted olive groves in California.

In the last 100 years, olives have made their way to Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, occupying those tracts of land in the Southern hemisphere that mirror the crucial 30-45 degrees of latitude that allows the plant to flourish north of the equator.

Today, about one billion olive trees are grown throughout the world, but less than 10 percent of olives are used specifically for eating.

The Biggest Producer of Olive Oil: Spain is the world's top producer of olive oil and leads the worldwide market in this product. Its average annual production amounts to 700,000-800,000 tonnes, though over 1 million tonnes have been produced in recent years. With over 250 million olive trees covering over 2 million hectares, the growing surface accounts for over 25% of the world's olive orchards.

The Biggest Exporter of Olive Oil: Spain is also the world's leading exporter of olive oil with an annual average over the last 10 years of over 250,000 tonnes, and over 400,000 tonnes in recent years.

The Health Benefits of Olive Oil: One of the main benefits attributed in scientific circles to olive oil is that it reduces "bad" cholesterol (LDL), while retaining "good" cholesterol (HDL). This helps to prevent atherosclerosis and certain types of cancer.

In addition, because of its high oleic acid content, it is well tolerated by the stomach and facilitates digestion. Two small tablespoons of olive oil on an empty stomach can help to relieve chronic constipation.

Olive oil is highly recommended for both the elderly and children. Firstly, its essential fatty acid content is similar to that of mother's milk, and it assists in bone mineralization, development and calcification. As part of the diet for the elderly, its high content of natural antioxidants creates a defence mechanism against oxidation processes, improving cardiovascular circulation and helping to slow down the ageing of cells.

OLIVE OIL CLASSIFICATIONS

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Virgin olive oil with an excellent aroma and flavor, with acidity not exceeding 1 degree.

Virgin Olive Oil: Virgin olive oil with a good aroma and flavor, with acidity not exceeding 2 degrees.

Pure Olive Oil: Refined olive oil with a chemical structure of the olive oil but has no aroma or flavor. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is added to give it its aroma and flavor, with acidity not exceeding 1.5 degrees.

Pomace Olive Oil: Olive Pomace is the solid paste obtained during the pressing of olive oil. This paste can be treated and refined. This has no flavor, odor or color but can be enriched by adding Extra Virgin Olive Oil, with acidity not exceeding 1.5 degrees.