什么是油橄榄

阔叶常绿乔木，学名为Olea europaea。产於亚热带，果实可供食用。希腊克里特岛在西元前3500年就已栽种食用油橄榄；闪米特人在西元前3000年也已栽种。古希腊和古罗马时代也用橄榄油。之後传播到地中海各国。今日油橄榄主要用於榨取橄榄油。其独特的风味和芳香以及有益健康的价值，因而闻名。近数十年在北美洲非常受欢迎。新鲜油橄榄极苦不能食，可用稀硷如灰汁将糖中和。油橄榄木樨科植物。木樨科为木本，含24属，约900种。原产於森林地区。除北极外分布於世界各地。热带和暖温带种类为常绿植物，而较冷的北温带种类落叶。梣属种类以硬木着名；许多属有园艺价值。丁香属、茉莉属、女贞属和连翘属。木樨科许多种类栽培以观赏其美观且芳香的花。

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.