JULY 12,2022
Ode To Olive Oil Near the murmuring In the grain fields, of the waves Of wind in the oat-stalks The olive tree With its silver-covered mass Severe in its lines In its twisted Heart in the earth: The graceful olives polished by the hands Which made the dove and the oceanic snail: Green, Inumerable, Immaculate Nipples of nature And there in the dry olive groves Where alone the blue sky with cicadas And the hard earth exist There the prodigy The perfect capsules of the olives Filling with their constellations, the foliage Then later, the bowls, The miracle, the olive oil. I love The homelands of olive oil The olive groves of Chacabuco, in Chile In the morning feathers of platinum Forests of them Against the wrinkled mountain ranges. In Anacapri, up above, Over the light of the Italian sea Is the despair of olive trees And on the map of Europe Spain A black basketfull of olives Dusted off by orange blossoms As if by a sea breeze Olive oil, The internal supreme Condition for the cooking pot Pedestal for game birds Heavenly key to mayonaise Smoothe and tasty Over the lettuce And supernatural in the hell Of the king mackerals like archbishops Our chorus with intimate Powerful smoothness You sing: You are the Spanish laguage There are syllables of olive oil There are words useful and rich-smelling Like your fragrant material It’s not only wine that sings Olive oil sings too It lives in us with its ripe light And among the good things of the earth I set apart Olive oil, Your ever-flowing peace, your green essence Your heaped-up treasure which descends In streams from the olive tree.
"Smooth as oil".
This is what we usually say when the sea presents itself without waves or ripples.
But what do we know about oil? What does this viscous liquid, with a color ranging from deep yellow to intense green, represent in the history of humanity?
Let's try briefly, also in order not to bore the reader in these summer days, to summarize the history of oil, which is the history of all mankind.
As a symbol of sacredness and peace (the biblical dove returned to Noah with an olive branch in its beak to announce the withdrawal of water from the earth), the olive tree has accompanied the history of mankind from the dawn of civilization to the present day.
According to mythology, Athens, capital of Hellas, the intellectual and political driving force of Greek civilization, is intimately linked to its tutelary deity, to Glaucopide, goddess with eyes as bright as the gray-green-silver leaves of olive trees, considered substance of light and symbol of wisdom.
Athena planted the first olive tree, a tree that, for millennia, with its fruits would give a wonderful juice that men could use for the preparation of food, for bodycare, for the healing of wounds and diseases and as a source of light for homes.
The goddess, with green-grey eyes, thus became the mistress of the city that took her name and built the Parthenon in her honor.
Solon (640-561 BC), poet, legislator and archon (one of the nine Athenian leaders) had a second group of olive trees planted and was famous for having promoted olive growing by placing it under the protection of Zeus, in the legislature of 594.
In the law issued by Solon, valid for the whole of Attica, the felling of olive trees was forbidden.
Under the aegis of Athena, and in her honor, starting from 556 BC. on the 16th of the month of Hecatombeon (July-August), the small (annual) and large (four-year) Panathenaeums took place in Athens. The winners were rewarded with money, gold and silver medals and even olive oil in richly decorated jars. The oil was obtained from the fruits of the olive grove that Solon had planted.
In countries such as Palestine, Syria and Crete, places of origin of the most ancient civilizations, the first olive growing developed. Kings David and Solomon placed exceptional importance on olive trees.
The first even placed royal officials to guard plantations and deposits, the second paid the carpenters of Tire, who had worked at the Temple of Jerusalem, with 20,000 baths of oil (1 bath = 22 It).
Between the sixth and fourth centuries. B.C. the cultivation of the olive tree spread, coming from the Sicilian colonies of Magna Graecia, in the central area of the Italian peninsula.
Going forward in time, the Roman tables make a distinction between the savory oils of Sabina and the light ones of Liguria, while the heavy oils of Spain and Africa are used above all for lighting.
We jump more than 1200 years and we come to 1700.
The eighteenth century is the golden age for national olive growing: Italy turns out to be the producer of the best oil on the European market, so much so that during this century and in the following, the lands converted to olive growing are becoming more and more extensive. Not only the food sector benefits, but also the nascent canning industry, that of lighting, saponification, and others.
Today olive oil is remaining a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet, viewed with ever greater respect by modern dieticians.
This has taught us that when used with intelligence, extra virgin olive oil is the healthy condiment par excellence.
Although Italy is not the largest producing country in the world in terms of quantity, it certainly is in terms of quality.
For example, there are 260 "monovarietal" oils in Italy (coming from a single type of olive tree): a number that gives an idea of how high and specialized olive growing in Italy is and how high the quality of the oil is.
The "Mediterranean diet" was declared a "World Heritage" by UNESCO in 2015.
We should talk about the "Italian diet" because at its base there are 3 all Italian excellences:
pasta, tomato and extra virgin olive oil.
But there are other oils that represent just as many excellences, albeit in a sector that apparently (and this adverb is not put by chance) have nothing to do with nutrition.
Some readers might think that the leap from olive oil to BORMAWACHS oils is a little bit too much.
But no. We are exactly on the same line.
Just as Italian olive oil must represent an essential component of a balanced diet, so BORMAWACHS terrace and parquet oils nourish and provide adequate protection for wood subjected to the most extreme stresses: prolonged exposure to the sun, salt, chlorine of the swimming pools, foot traffic.
We can say without fear of being accused of excessive arrogance that "Italian monovarietal extra virgin olive oil "and" TERRACE OIL "," THERMOWOOD OIL "and" TEAK OIL " are Italian proof of excellence and they follow the same logic of natural balance, both physical and environmental.
The extra virgin olive oil, in addition to fully satisfying the palate, has a protective function for the coronary arteries, lowering the risk of cardio-vascular diseases. BORMAWACHS oils protect and extend the life of wooden terraces and decks.
TERRACE OIL is a blend of high solid modified natural oils with strong surface penetration. The low natural viscosity of the product and its oil-based formulation guarantees, despite the high solid residue, a perfect impregnation of each wood with remarkable protective capacity and without flaking. Enriched with UV filters and additives against harmful wood agents, it is ideal for outdoor use. Uniform degradation and easy maintenance.
Thermowood Oil is a blend of natural oils and resins, specific for the finishing of heat-treated wood for outdoor use. Thanks to its particular wetting properties, it is ideal for nourishing and protecting surfaces, giving a strong decorative effect and making the wood resistant to water and bad weather. To ensure superior protection, we recommend the colored versions, available in shades: natural, light, medium, dark. Perfect for all heat-treated wood surfaces: garden furniture, terraces, houses and pergolas.
Teak is a wood of great value, highly appreciated for its considerable resistance and dimensional stability, and is popular for the production of garden furniture, boats and parquet. Particularly resinous, it is not always easy to work with, Borma Teak oil is a special blend of oils, almost odorless, ready to use, ideal for the protection of this particular essence. Applicable on any type of raw wood, it gives the treated surface a satin water-repellent protective veil, grease-free, effective both inside and outside.
Its special formulation, enriched with special UV filters and additives against the harmful agents of wood, penetrates deeply, enhancing the tone and natural beauty of the treated surfaces.
HOLZWACHS LASUR 3IN1 is a dispersion of natural waxes and resins combined with UV filters, which guarantee considerable resistance to atmospheric agents. Single-component ready to use, it is characterized by a good penetrating power, good smoothness and elasticity.
Formulated with lightfast pigments it is ideal for both indoor and international applications. Ideal for sidings, attics, beams, fixtures. Excellent as a protective ennobling for any rough wood surface, it gives rise to soft, pleasantly satin finishes.
DEKORWACHS LASUR is a high solid non-flaking finish based on natural waxes and resins. Forms a thick and smooth layer, which prevents oxidation and wear of the wood.
Fully pigmented, it is formulated with precious raw materials that increase its resistance to UV rays and to attacks by mold and insects.
Perfect for brush applications, it avoids any dripping. Indoor-outdoor use.
While in the mountains it is not possible to find local extra virgin olive oil (the climate is incompatible with cultivation of the olive tree) we find BORMAWACHS oils that help the wood remain young and alive even in extreme climates, near the sea and in the plains.
So that it can last over the years and, we hope, for centuries to come, just like our ancestors used to pass us their work.
We have come to the end of this quick oil journey, that we hope was quick and didn't bore you.
This journey will continue in the years to come and will be enriched with new experiences.
This journey continues to give us new stories and, we hope, will help you get acquainted with the excellence of BORMAWACHS. Proud of what we have done so far and always looking for something new because excellence, once conquered, must be maintained.
That's why we never stop.
That's why more and more people appreciate and choose us.