Triumph of olive - plantation, tasting-training, lunch

It lives on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, from the humid lowlands to the borders of the desert. Meeting the dawn in the Levant, she escorts the sun beyond the horizon of the Atlantic. It stands firmly on the ground, but its head is aimed at the sky. Its silhouette is both slimy and flying, angular and graceful, clumsy and graceful. Her lush hair is stirred by the slightest breath of breeze, but she does not like even the most powerful hurricanes. Adoring hot weather, she needs cold - but she does not tolerate snow. She always looks beautiful - at 20, at 200, and in 2000. She is content with little, she gives much: feeds and drinks, heals and cleanses, shelters from the sun and dispels darkness. Accompanying the man for thousands of years, she called herself many names - Elijah and Zait, Olika and Teselta, Tahatimt and Zituna. Today we call her Olive.

Our tour - picturesque, informative and gastronomic - is dedicated to the "Queen of the Mediterranean" - the evergreen olive. Tunisia has more than 65 million olive trees of 40 species, which is 20% of the world’s plantations. The Phoenicians were the first to cultivate olives more than 3,000 years ago. The inhabitants of Carthage – first Punic and then Roman – expanded production to almost industrial scales. For centuries, olive oil lamps illuminated Roman temples, Christian basilicas and Muslim madrassas, Andalusian patios and Ottoman palaces. And, of course, without olives and their derivatives, it is impossible to imagine the cuisine of the Mediterranean countries. Lunch in Tunisia certainly begins with an exciting appetite "duet" - a spicy "charissa", generously poured with fragrant olive oil!

After leaving the resort coast, we will go to the region of the central plateau. It is here, at an altitude of 400-600 m above sea level, that one of the most valuable varieties of olive grows - "shetuy", oil from which is famous for its rich aroma and maximum content of polyphenols - an indispensable building material of amino acids and, consequently, protein molecules.

The trail leads us to the Domaine Ben Ismail family plantation, whose Triomphe Thuccabor olive oil won gold medals at international exhibitions in London in 2017 and Los Angeles in 2018, and for the second year in a row is officially recognized as the best olive oil in Tunisia. Our hosts, the young generation of the Ben Ismail family, will be our guides to the wonderful world of olives.

During a walk around the grounds you will see olive trees of different ages - from very young, five-year-old, to mature forty-year-old and honorable centuries. Individual olives were planted by the Romans, 1700 years ago! Our guide will tell you about the amazing device and life cycle of the olive, about agricultural work throughout the year, about the intricacies and secrets of harvesting. From the top of the 600-meter hill, you will see 50 hectares of plantation and almost 5000 evergreen beauties.

The tour continues in the production premises, where you will be introduced to the device of a modern full-cycle press and demonstrate the path of the olive from the tree to the bottle of oil on your table. By the way, did you know that real olive oil is bright green, has a pronounced bitterness and a stunning aroma? Welcome to a tasting-training course, during which you will learn to understand olive oil. Trying oil samples, you, under the guidance of a professional taster, will learn to evaluate its organoleptic properties according to international standards and make your own rating scale. And most importantly, you will be able to determine whether olive oil is good or bad.

Played out in the fresh air and during the tasting, you will satisfy your appetite with a homemade lunch from farm products, which will be prepared for us by the hostess of the house. On the menu - salad "meshuya" with haze, assortments of fresh vegetables, cheese plate, "flet" - a traditional dish of the region, stewed milk lamb on lavash, fruits and soft drinks. For better digestion of goodies, you can walk through the garden among fruit trees and aromatic herbs.

At the end of the visit, you will have the opportunity to purchase the best olive oil in Tunisia - bottles of 250 or 500 ml - a great addition to your family cuisine and a valuable gift for family and friends.