The Remarkable Olive Trees of Puglia
In Puglia, olive trees abound. Apparently there are in excess of fifty million of them! You find them in well tended groves, family gardens, planter boxes, in clay pots in village streets. You find them in piazzas. The olive tree is Puglia’s ubiquitous resource.
Olive oil has a starring role in the Italian diet. Its magical qualities are woven into the cooking life of Puglians it seems. Its flavour permeates deep into the hearts, minds and desires of the population of this region. It is central to the concept of what constitutes a healthy life.
Olive trees appear to hold a place of honour here. Olive oil featured everywhere we travelled in this remarkable part of Italy. In some towns entire shops sold nothing but olive oil. In Ostuni one morning, I bought a panini that contained proscuitto, mozzarella, rocquette and the most exquisite oiive tapenade imaginable. Olives prevail on the menu here.
These special trees are actually quite tenacious when you think about it. They are known to exist and even flourish for centuries. When the conditions are harsh or neglect is clearly evident they somehow manage to overcome adversity. They exhibit a remarkable resilience.
As we drove through the region we saw ancient trees, their branches gnarled and twisted like arthritic limbs. We saw some amazing examples of these ancient wonders when we visited Masseria Il Frantoio near Ostuni. Vicki and I walked about the farm viewing trees reminiscent of the moving trees featured in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. They had a living presence that could not be denied. It was not impossible to imagine them moving across the landscape, such was their aura.
I read somewhere that these antiquainted marvels are much prized by tourists from Italy’s northern provinces. Over zealous visitors have been known to remove entire trees, –roots and all, to display as house decorations. Authorities in Puglia have been forced to enact laws to protect these natural treasures.
Olive oil has a starring role in the Italian diet. Its magical qualities are woven into the cooking life of Puglians it seems. Its flavour permeates deep into the hearts, minds and desires of the population of this region. It is central to the concept of what constitutes a healthy life.
Olive trees appear to hold a place of honour here. Olive oil featured everywhere we travelled in this remarkable part of Italy. In some towns entire shops sold nothing but olive oil. In Ostuni one morning, I bought a panini that contained proscuitto, mozzarella, rocquette and the most exquisite oiive tapenade imaginable. Olives prevail on the menu here.
As we drove through the region we saw ancient trees, their branches gnarled and twisted like arthritic limbs. We saw some amazing examples of these ancient wonders when we visited Masseria Il Frantoio near Ostuni. Vicki and I walked about the farm viewing trees reminiscent of the moving trees featured in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. They had a living presence that could not be denied. It was not impossible to imagine them moving across the landscape, such was their aura.
I read somewhere that these antiquainted marvels are much prized by tourists from Italy’s northern provinces. Over zealous visitors have been known to remove entire trees, –roots and all, to display as house decorations. Authorities in Puglia have been forced to enact laws to protect these natural treasures.
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