什麼是油橄欖

闊葉常綠喬木，學名為Olea europaea。產於亞熱帶，果實可供食用。希臘克里特島在西元前3500年就已栽種食用油橄欖；閃米特人在西元前3000年也已栽種。古希臘和古羅馬時代也用橄欖油。之後傳播到地中海各國。今日油橄欖主要用於榨取橄欖油。其獨特的風味和芳香以及有益健康的價值，因而聞名。近數十年在北美洲非常受歡迎。新鮮油橄欖極苦不能食，可用稀礆如灰汁將糖中和。油橄欖木樨科植物。木樨科為木本，含24屬，約900種。原產於森林地區。除北極外分佈於世界各地。熱帶和暖溫帶種類為常綠植物，而較冷的北溫帶種類落葉。梣屬種類以硬木著名；許多屬有園藝價值。丁香屬、茉莉屬、女貞屬和連翹屬。木樨科許多種類栽培以觀賞其美觀且芳香的花。

olive

Subtropical, broad-leaved, evergreen tree (Olea europaea) and its edible fruit. The edible olive was being grown on the island of Crete c. 3500 BC, the Semitic peoples apparently were cultivating it as early as 3000 BC, and it was used by the ancient Greeks and Romans, after which olive growing spread to all the countries bordering the Mediterranean. Today olives are grown primarily for olive oil, which has in recent decades become highly popular in North America, valued both for its distinctive taste and fragrance and for healthful properties that have become widely known. Fresh olives must be treated to neutralize their extreme bitterness before they can be eaten. The olive family (Oleaceae) comprises about 900 species in 24 genera of woody plants. Native to forested regions, members of the olive family grow worldwide except in the Arctic, as evergreens in tropical and warm temperate climes and as deciduous trees in colder zones. Ash trees yield hardwood timber; horticultural favorites include lilacs, jasmines, privets, and forsythia. Many members of the family are cultivated for their beautiful and fragrant flowers.