July
2008
The Other Olive Oil . . .
. . . the California variety.
(On Mondays we’re revisiting posts from the past. This is a curtain call for The Other Olive Oil.)
The domestic and imported versions look almost the same, are almost the same. However, one was transported five to six thousand miles to arrive in our grocery stores, the other more like seven hundred miles. One is steeped in romance and ancient history, the other not so much, though California has a little olive oil history of its own. Olive trees were originally planted at Spanish missions there in the 18th century, thrived for a while and then languished during most of the twentieth century. Clearly there’s a revival happening now. Italian, Greek and Spanish oils are not easily abandoned and I don’t suggest that, but we do have a domestic alternative that deserves consideration.
California olive oil can be found in most grocery stores if you’re willing to look. I admit, you have to check labels a little compulsively, and when I visited five different grocery stores in the Seattle area I found just a few options. That will change, but right now you have to be willing to look, and there’s a hitch. Several, but not all, of the domestic brands were actually a mix of California and imported oils. This includes organic Napa Valley Olive Oils (the Napa Valley Naturals brand). It can be found at grocery stores, in bulk at PCC and is a mixture of California and Argentine oils. There are definitely California olive oils available in PNW stores, you just have to be tenacious about discovering your own best source. (More options to explore online and links below are a source of additional information.)
I’ve heard rumors that there may be a gutsy B.C. farmer willing to try growing olive trees. It sounds crazy, but there’s more and more evidence about the variety of foods we’ve given up trying to grow that we might grow successfully again. PNW olive groves may or may not be one of them. So, what’s the point? If you enjoy the taste and health benefits of olive oil, and wish to find ways to diminish your carbon footprint and the affects of global warming, then domestic olive oil is something to consider.
While you’re thinking about it all, try this herbaceous mix with a delicious loaf of bread. 
Pour a little dish of olive oil (from California?) and add to it a few morsels from the garden: a sprig of rosemary, a smashed clove of garlic, bay leaf and a pinch of salt. Dried Sungold tomatoes from last summer are a luxurious addition. Dive in with a piece of that bread, take a bite, savor it and be grateful that seven hundred mile olive oil is an option, which is about five thousand miles closer than the admittedly luscious imports from southern Europe.
Thank you for the review of California Olive Oil.
My neighbor, transplanted city slicker, has blended two unique varieties of Olives from her Olive Orchard and has pressed a delightfully nutty flavored Pure Virgin Olive Oil.
I suggest you visit her blog and maybe try some. I think it is outstanding
Walsh Family Orchards, a Journal of Transition..
Thank you for the great Blog!
Chuck Bartok
I wonder whether olives grown in our relatively colder climate can truly reduce the carbon footprint of olive oil, if the trees are a lot harder to grow here — ie if they require that much more energy input to flourish. It’ll be interesting to hear what the B.C. farmer learns.
Yes, hard to imagine olive groves as native, and therefore flourishing, in the PNW. But California’s a different story in that regard.