This article is about the liquid fat extracted by pressing olives. For boiling small potatoes with skin on Popeye character, see Olive Oyl. Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. 2020, world production of olive oil was 3.

Spain was the largest producer followed by Italy, Tunisia, Greece, Turkey and Morocco. The composition of olive oil varies with the cultivar, altitude, time of harvest, and extraction process. Olive oil has long been a common ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine, including ancient Greek and Roman cuisine. It is not clear when and where olive trees were first domesticated.

The modern olive tree most likely originated in ancient Persia and Mesopotamia and spread to the Levant and later to North Africa, though some scholars argue for an Egyptian origin. The olive tree reached Greece, Carthage and, Libya sometime in the 28th century BC, having been spread westward by the Phoenicians. Olive trees were introduced to the Americas in the 16th century AD when cultivation began in areas that enjoyed a climate similar to the Mediterranean such as Chile, Argentina, and California. Recent genetic studies suggest that species used by modern cultivators descend from multiple wild populations, but detailed history of domestication is not yet forthcoming.

Archaeological evidence shows that by 6000 BC olives were being turned into olive oil and in 4500 BC at a now-submerged prehistoric settlement south of Haifa. Here some dozen documents dated 2400 BC describe the lands of the king and the queen. Dynastic Egyptians before 2000 BC imported olive oil from Crete, Syria and, Canaan and oil was an important item of commerce and wealth. Remains of olive oil have been found in jugs over 4,000 years old in a tomb on the island of Naxos in the Aegean Sea. Scholars believe the oil was made by a process where olives were placed in woven mats and squeezed.

The oil was collected in vats. The importance of olive oil as a commercial commodity increased after the Roman conquest of Egypt, Greece and Asia Minor led to more trade along the Mediterranean. Olive trees were planted throughout the entire Mediterranean basin during evolution of the Roman Republic and Empire. The olive tree has historically been a symbol of peace between nations.

There are many olive cultivars, each with a particular flavor, texture, and shelf life that make them more or less suitable for different applications, such as direct human consumption on bread or in salads, indirect consumption in domestic cooking or catering, or industrial uses such as animal feed or engineering applications. Extra virgin olive oil is mostly used as a salad dressing and as an ingredient in salad dressings. It is also used with foods to be eaten cold. If uncompromised by heat, the flavor is stronger. It also can be used for sautéing.

Refined olive oils are suited for deep frying because of the higher smoke point and milder flavour. Eastern Orthodox Christians still use oil lamps in their churches, home prayer corners and in the cemeteries. A vigil lamp consists of a votive glass containing a half-inch of water and filled the rest with olive oil. The glass has a metal holder that hangs from a bracket on the wall or sits on a table. A cork float with a lit wick floats on the oil.