Deep dive into delicious olive oil country on the Taste of Montenegro tour offered in Kotor, a port on the Classic Italy & Dalmatian Coast. cruise.
You will be the youngest living thing in the orchard … of 300 year old olive trees.
From the medieval Old Town of Kotor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, travel inland to the village of Tici and the Moric family farm, the sole producer of organic olive oil in Montenegro. Olive oil production is a family tradition in Montenegro. The Lustica region has been cultivating olives and producing olive oil for more than 2,000 years, an essential component of the country’s culture and cuisine.
Olive oil infused with herbs and other spices was used for medicinal purposes and in cosmetics by ancient Romans, Greeks and Egyptians. Now it’s ubiquitous in the Mediterranean kitchen. Flavored oils are often used for salad dressings, pasta and as a dip for bread. Known as a healthy oil, it’s higher in monounsaturated fat than other oils. This type of fat may lower your risk of heart disease and lower total cholesterol. Substituting olive oil for other types of fats like butter and stick margarine may help you gain certain health benefits.
At the farm, meet the family and tour the estate they’ve owned for 200 years. Ilija Moric is a university professor and president of Montenegro Olive Oil Producers Association. Breathe in history as you wander among nearly 1,000 olive trees, most centuries older than you. See the old way of producing olive oil with the authentic 150-year-old mill. Then see how it’s done today with the new, modern olive press using anaerobic production and hear how it changed their lifestyle.
After learning how to make olive oil, you’ll learn to appreciate the nuances and discern quality through an olive oil tasting. Ask Ilija Moric questions about his family, the olive oil business or what life is like in this area. The family grows vegetables and keeps animals on the estate as well. Taste local food and drink while you rest and take in the scenery. The family shares homemade food such as smoked ham, bacon, sausages, homemade cheese, salad and apple pie.
After saying goodbye to the family, you’ll have time to explore the Old Town of Kotor with your guide. But don’t forget to buy fresh olive oil to take home. You may want to make a delicious olive oil cake, upgrade your salads, impress your friends with your tasty bread dip or simply rub it on your body for health benefits as the Romans did.
10 facts to know about olives and olive oil
- Olives are a fruit, not a vegetable
- Olive trees usually live between 300 and 600 years
- The oldest olive tree is 4,000 years old on the island Crete
- Olives contain about 20% oil
- It takes about 11 pounds of pressed olives to make one quart of oil
- Greeks consume the most olive oil in the world per capita – about 5 gallons a person!
- Spain is the largest producer of olive oil
- The Goddess Athena brought the Greeks a gift of olives and Athens was named after her
- The only difference between green and black olives is that green olives are picked before ripening
- Olive oil is perishable and will develop a rancid taste if it goes bad; use an open bottle within three months for best taste
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