A good read

As strange as it may seem to a non-initiated, half-interested passerby in the olive oil and its nuances, reading a book about olive oil can be quite an experience (of course, not the ones about pruning or fertilizers-just leave them to the pros...). I just finished reading "Extra virginity", by Tom Mueller, and can't but suggest it as the next good read. A bit of history, a bit of mithology, a quite insightful look in the present day state of the small universe surrounding the olive juice, with all its Dr.Jekylls and Mr.Hydes, and a number of insights and informations about many of the small facets that make up this trade.

It may be due to my obvious bias towards this tree and its fruit, but it transpires, page after page, that the author has a sincere interest in the topic and manages to transmit his experiences to the reader, which range from investigative journalism of criminal activities in southern Italy to insights in small Palestinian communities dependant on the olive tree, from the big industrial producer/trader to the small enthusiast. If you wish so, it can be a fast read, thanks to the jumps form Roman times to modern day traders and back again to a hidden corner of Crete that the author manages to fit in few pages. It gives you also a good number of facts that may keep you thinking, should you wish so.

It may make you wonder next time you go to the supermarket and pick that really cheap extra vergine, and maybe even make you stop not only at that wine producer cantina for a chat with the owner, but at our place too. I always enjoy a chat with the half-interested passerby.