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<pre>Thanks for your very welcome post, Peter.

As a consumer who uses olive oil almost exclusively, I couldn't agree more. I
often pay a higher price for cold-pressed extra-virgin, but much prefer its
taste. Mort Rosenblum, discusses this subject extensively throughout his
very readable 1996 book "Olives: The Life and Lore of a Noble Fruit,"
published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

Even my seven-year-old granddaughter notes the difference. When taste-tasting
with me at a store, she will invariably pick a cold-pressed oil.

If Syria hopes to export to America, I think it is the cold-pressed oils we
are looking for, though I don't have any statistics to back up my statement.
I would think, however, they could be gathered.

All best, Kaye

In a message dated 8/9/99 3:46:50 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
c581927@showme.missouri.edu writes:

> From: Peter Warnock <c581927@showme.missouri.edu>

Howdy,

I'm rather new to the list, and am a graduate student doing research on
traditional olive oil production in the Near East. I've done most of my
research in Jordan and Palestine/Israel. I do have a comment about a
statement posted earlier on the list:

On Sat, 7 Aug 1999, Sadoun wrote:

>Dear Sohair

>Olive Oil production should switch from the old traditional method to
>using the new continuos methods using centrifuges (decanters and
>Separators).

>The Syrian press owners are moving slowly to changing their aging
>equipment. This will improve the quality of olive oil produced in terms >of
lower acidity levels, better taste, etc. Most of the villages in >Northern
Syria lack new olive pressing plants. The farmers will have >to wait for
days sometimes weeks to get their olive pressed. That >deteriorates their
olives.

While the delay at the oil mill does cause problems with the olives, I
disagree that going to modern methods is not always the best path to take.

A large number of the high quality (and high priced) oil on the market are
from small mills that do traditional methods. Crushing with the
traditional stone millstones (some bottles have pictures of such stones or
the method is mentioned on the label) and pressed with an upright (usually
hydraulic) press, giving "cold pressed" oil. Most of the people I've talked
to in my research prefer the cold pressed oil to oil produced at centrifugal
mills. I think as modern bulk produced oil erodes the market of the
traditionally produced oil, taste preferences shift towards the modern oil as
it is the only oil people are then accustomed too. I found the oils produced
at the traditional mills to be much more flavorfull and exciting than the oil
from the modern mills I visited. I think it would
be to the benefit of all that some traditional mills continue to produce,
rather than switching over to the centrifugal process. Proper exposure
and sales could allow them to produce a quality product.

Peter Warnock
Dept. of Anthropology
Univ. of Missouri
Columbia, MO
c581927@showme.missouri.edu
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