When I was a boy, olive oil (spelt Olive Oyl) was Popeye’s girlfriend - not something you used in the kitchen. Spurred on by TV cooking shows, lots of us regularly slosh olive oil into our frying pans and salads with gusto (not to mention pesto and antipasto). Many thousands of Kiwis have discovered and embraced the delights of the various Mediterranean cuisines, with olive oil as their essential common denominator. For instance, Cairnmuir Olives, near Bannockburn, has won awards for its extra virgin olive oil. Olive trees have an understated, subtle beauty rather than the in-your-face glamour of rhododendrons and cherry blossom trees.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 23, 2020 14:37 UTC