Food: Olives

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FOOD: OLIVES

A staple of Middle Eastern cuisine.

Olives have been cultivated since ancient times, and both olives and olive oil constitute an important part of the diet in the Middle East. Olive trees grow in nonirrigated, rain-fed areas and bear fruit for generations. Green olives are cured in brine to extract the bitter taste, whereas black olives are cured by packing them in sea salt. Olive oil, pressed from green olives, is a staple in the Mediterranean area. In Arab cuisines, it is favored for frying vegetables and fish.

Jenab Tutunji