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<pre>An origin for olives in the Levant seems to be so much more likely than
the central Asia (around the Caspian towards Afghanistan) given in a number
of olive books. Fontanazza in his book "Intensive mechanised olive culture"
shows olives coming from the Caspian via the Levant and Egypt.

If they came from this cental Asian region why have they lost the
extreme resistance to cold that they would need to survive there? Such a
northern origin seems highly unlikely.

If the came from further south they would not need winter chill for
flower initiation.

Eating the wild fruit of the olive would certainly be bitter early in
the season but the bitterness declines. While modern treatment is with
caustic soda this is all to do with throughput - return on investment etc.
The best method of removing the bitterness is still to leave the olives in
running water from a fresh spring.

In Italy (at least in Umbria) fresh raw olives are use in cooking to add
flavour. Some ristorante freeze them for use latter in the year.

Cheers Brian Chatterton.
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