A Duet of Olive Oil and Fruity Aromas: The Palo Verde Family's Local Story

When you think of olives, what kind of flavor comes to mind?

I have two taste memories of olives: the main one is a tangy, sweet-and-sour mixed flavor, from store-bought pickled olives eaten as a snack; the other is a strong bitter and astringent taste, from olives picked from the tree or gathered off the ground and tried as a snack fresh. After growing up, beyond these two, I added some more olive taste experiences, including pickled olives served as an appetizer, and olive oil spread on bread. Through these experiences, I built up my understanding of olives, and also learned that olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, counts as a premium oil, and has a long and frequent tradition of use in the Mediterranean region.

95% of the world's olive oil is produced in the Mediterranean region, and Italy's output is second only to Spain and Greece, ranking third in the world. Carrying such olive experience, accompanied and led by oil taster Chen Shih-chieh (Giovanna Chen), I arrived at the Parovel family's olive oil estate, run in the suburbs of Trieste in northeastern Italy.