“When the dove returned to him in the evening, there was a freshly plucked olive leaf in its beak! Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth.”                      

– Genesis 8 v 11.

“His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.”

– Hosea 14:16

What excitement do I feel when I discover a new find!! And this time I found out about the world’s most exclusive ‘Ultra Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil’, which is harvested from earth’s most ancient living olive trees ‘The Sisters Olive Trees of Noah’! The very trees, believed to have lent a branch to the dove who in turn carried it to Noah, way back in the history of mankind!

I know, I know…. too much to take in at one go! But believe me, it is of this magnificence! Read on and enjoy…

As it turns out, one of the world’s rarest, most exclusive, and finest olive oils, comes from Lebanon! Not Only is the award-winning oil special in terms of flavour and quality, but the story really starts in the trees! This oil is harvested solely from ‘The ‘Sisters’ Olive Trees Of Noah’. The ‘Sisters’ is a rare variety of olive trees believed to be the oldest living olive trees on earth – over 8000 years old. These olive trees are the ancestor of the most acclaimed olive tree variety in the Mediterranean. They are even tied to the story of Noah! here is how….

The History and Mythology of the ‘Sisters’ Olive Trees

Tucked in the Village of ‘Bechealeh’ in Lebanon ‘The Sisters’ olive trees are one of the great unresolved pre-Biblical Mysteries. The inhabitants of this laid-back Lebanese
area always knew that there is something peculiar about their town. From the four Neolithic temple ruins on which four monasteries had been erected to the unexplained cavern fortress of unknown pre-Phoenician origins to its larger than life arcane, and the olive trees that have been proven to be the oldest planted trees on the planet, dating back to an unknown era of civilization. All of which have made this spot a destination for scholars. Biblical scholars, found this village especially intriguing. They together with the folklore of that town agree that those are the trees from which the dove took the branch back to to Noah when the deluge subsided.

This seems more plausible if you consider that during that great flood the whole of the Middle East was underwater and ‘The Sisters’ being perched at 1300 meters in altitude made them the defacto highest ever planted olive trees till modern days.

Olive oil had always been celebrated by all religions, with many references to its nutritional and holistic value.   Modern science had proven the healing benefits and antioxidant values of olive oil, which help in the prevention of many diseases such as cancer, and heart disease, as well as lowering cholesterol levels…etc

Did you know that there is such a thing as Ultra Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil?

Yes there is. These descriptive words ‘Ultra Premium Extra Virgin’ Olive Oil are used to explain the quality of the oil, which is hugely determined by the way the oil is extracted. To understand the difference among different olive oils, you must know a little bit about the art of oil making and how they are graded.

All production begins by transforming the olive fruit into olive paste. This paste is then malaxed (slowly churned or mixed) to allow the microscopic oil droplets to concentrate. The oil is extracted by means of pressure (traditional method) or centrifugation (modern method). After extraction the remnant solid substance, called pomace, still contains a small quantity of oil, which are further processed.

The grades of oil extracted from the olive fruit can be classified as:

• Virgin means the oil was produced by the use of physical means and no chemical treatment. The term virgin oil referring to production is different from Virgin Oil on a retail label. On a retail label this oil comes from virgin oil production only, has an acidity less than 2%, and is judged to have a good taste.
• Extra-virgin olive oil  comes from virgin oil production only, contains no more than 0.8% acidity, and is judged to have a superior taste. Extra Virgin olive oil accounts for less than 10% of oil in many producing countries; the percentage is far higher in the Mediterranean countries. It is used on salads, garnishing appetiser plates, added at the table to soups and stews and for dipping.
• Refined Oil means that the oil has been chemically treated to neutralize strong tastes (characterized as defects) and neutralize the acid content (free fatty acids). Refined oil is commonly regarded as lower quality than virgin oil; oils with the retail labels extra-virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil cannot contain any refined oil.  In commercial labels, this grade is usually referred to as Pure Olive Oil or Olive Oil this means it is made out of a blend of refined and virgin production oil. This type is the most commonly used by home cooks and is usually used for all applications.

• Olive Pomace Oil means oil extracted from the pomace using solvents, mostly hexane, and by subjection to heat. Pomace oil is often blended with some virgin oil. It is fit for consumption, but may not be described simply as olive oil. It has a more neutral flavor than pure or virgin olive oil, making it unfashionable among connoisseurs; however, it has the same fat composition as regular olive oil, rendering it the same health benefits. It also has a high smoke point, and thus is widely used in restaurants as well as home cooking in some countries.

What Makes The Sisters Olive Trees of Noah’s Oil Special?

It is Ultra Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil

This is the finest type of olive oil there is. It exceeds the Extra Virgin Olive Oil benchmark, where its production becomes another level of perfection, resulting in the highest quality. ‘The Sisters Olive Tree of Noah’ have mastered the art of oil making to bring out the goodness of an already superior olive tree variety.

Sisters Olive Trees of Noah understand that the quality of the oil is heavily reliant on the quality of the olive fruit, and thus make sure to take utmost care of the fruit from its selection to cleaning, to milling and malaxing the paste. Starting with a commitment to freshness, where they ensure that the whole process from harvest to bottle is done in under 4 hours! And all done by hand!

Harvesting the fruit by hand results in a better product because the fruit is not bruised as when using the machines. Cleaning the olives prior to milling is all done by hand. Where each fruit is cleaned by removing the stems, leaves, twigs and then water washed prior to milling. Even their milling the olives into paste is done using a stone mill or hammer. The paste is cold-pressed (not subjected to heat) which is known to better maintain the quality of the olive oil. Their malaxing is done under total vacuum, which means there is no contact with oxygen therefore with a zero risk of oxidizing; resulting in the highest quality olive oil: A pure liquid emerald gold antioxidant: The Ultra Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil harvested from the oldest olive oil trees on Earth.

The Sister Olive Trees of Noah

The Brand

This award-winning Lebanese Organic Ultra Premium Extra Virgin Olive oil is unfiltered and made through an exclusive process of cold pressing, malaxing and decanting all in under 4 hours from picking the fruits (the entire process is by hand and without exposure to oxygen to maintain and maximise its holistic properties). Sister Olive Tree Oil has a very low acidity (0.18-0.24), and is very high in polyphenols.

This oil has been described by connoisseurs as “with intense freshness, lightly fruity, medium peppery, buttery with almond and walnut notes, with fresh grass palate…”

‘Sister Olive Tree Oil’ is made in very limited quantities (less than 5000 bottles/year) making it the rarest publicly available olive oil in the world, which is upscale and gourmet. A fact that makes it even more valuable. Its packaging is unique and reflective of its heritage. The sleek flask-like ceramic bottles used for their packaging are inspired by ancient Lebanese ceramic kitchen bottles called ‘Kabiya’ and are suggestive that you are going to experience some exclusive premium olive oil. They come in 2 sizes (500ml and 250ml), and upon request they can offer a gift-box packaging for you.

The Cherry on Top

It is worth mentioning here that the ‘Sisters Olive Tree of Noah’ is a non-profit foundation that is dedicated to the preservation of the ancient olive grove, with a main focus on preserving those miraculous trees located in the mountain village of ‘Bechealeh’ in Northern Lebanon; which experts believe them to be the oldest trees on earth, and possibly the oldest living biological life-form on our planet.

Proceeds from all sales will fund the expensive and extensive preservation program that covers anything from soil erosion & disease prevention to funding ‘the Sisters’ plant nursery, Roman Mill and library.

They are also dedicated to bringing to the market the finest and most luxurious organic olive oil products that these olive trees produce to this day. Their products also include olive oil soaps, and facial creams all of which are handmade and harvested from heights far away from today’s pollution.

A brand worth supporting, I would say!

The Sister Olive Tree of Noah contacts

Bechealeh – Northern Lebanon

Tel +961 71 919 176

Olive oil is extensively used in food making. Its flavour is unique and cannot be mimicked. There are many recipes I thought of posting for this blog entry, but, an exclusive Premium Oil such as this one, must be met with a gourmet recipe just as good.

Olive Oil Ice Cream took the world by thunder when it was first made. A very unique and unlikely combination that came as a brow-raising surprise. When you try it you will utterly love it.

 

Serving Suggestions

There are many ways to use and serve this ice cream. It is good on its own, just like any ice cream, with chocolate shavings, or with finely chopped mint over fresh raspberries, and strawberries. You can also top an olive oil cake with a quenelle of olive oil ice cream and sprinkle with croquant. It is fabulously good atop a salad of segmented citrons (pomelos, pink grapefruits, ruby reds, and clementines) lightly drizzled with an olive oil and ruby red dressing. With just the right balance of flavours, this ice cream can be served in savoury dishes, where a little sweetness brings out the flavour of the rest of the ingredients.

For the Olive Oil Ice Cream recipe

 

It is always a great pleasure to learn about what all the great people are doing around the world to preserve our natural heritage. It is a pleasure to learn about different people’s passions, and a huge pleasure to simply learn and be inspired. I hope that you too find your inspirations, your talents and your passions: The very fuel of a happy life.