Fragrant November – Olive and Dog Rose
The fragrance network has expanded in all forms, from floral displays, potpourri, liqueurs, juices, cakes, fragrant decorations to gastro-menus where, in various ways, autochthonous island plants are used.
THE OLIVE TREE (lat. Olea europaea L.)
The oldest and most famous cultivated plant in the Mediterranean. The olive tree survives for several hundred years. There is a difference between the wild olive tree – Olea europaea L. subsp. oleaster and the cultivated olive tree – Olea europaea L. subsp. sativa. *subsp. Abbreviation from the Latin name for subspecies.
THE OLIVE TREE IN MY GARDEN AND YOURS
The wild olive tree appears as a hugely rambling evergreen shrub, somewhat smaller than the cultivated olive tree, with fewer leaves and extremely thorny branches. The fruit of the wild olive tree is also smaller than that of the cultivated one. Ripe fruit is almost black and it has a large stone. The wild olive tree grows on dry and rocky areas of our coastal region. Through selection and improvement, several hundred types of cultivated olive trees are grown throughout the world.
NUTRITIONAL VALUE
The fruit of the olive tree contains oil in both the fleshy part as well as the seeds as reserve matter. Virgin cold-pressed oil is a blend of glyceride which contains 80-85% oleic acid, 5-10% linoleic acid and 8-15% palmitic acid as well as a few free fatty acids. Due to its composition, olive oil is a high-quality dietetic oil.
CONTRAINDICATIONS: It may cause stomach problems to persons of a delicate constitution.
INTERESTING FACT
Olive oil was the basis of prosperity for the coastal inhabitants. Long ago, it served as a means of payment while simultaneously being used in the preparation of everyday meals.
IMPORTANT
Oil for massage is prepared from cold-pressed olive oil with various dried medicinal herbs infused (St. John's wort, rosemary, lavender, pot marigold....). Medicinal and essential oils from herbs dissolve extremely well in olive oil thus achieving greater benefit of medicinal properties. Olive oil (virgin oil) is yellow to greenish yellow colour and is extracted cold pressed from fresh or dried olives (using 20 – 40%). Oil pressed at a higher temperature and pressure can be used for consumption only after refining.
DOG ROSE ( Rosa canina L.)
Other names: Brier Rose, Dog Berry, Hep Tree, Hip Fruit, Hop Fruit, Hogseed, Sweet Brier, Wild Brier, Witches Brier
DOG ROSE IN OUR GARDENS
It is a deciduous shrub reaching up to 3 m in height. Its branches are thin, long, and prickly. The flower is pink and white and it closes at night. It blooms from May to July, and the fruit ripens in October and November. The oval, dark red fruit called the rose hip turns the late autumn and early winter in intense red. The hips are picked when they are fully ripe and soft. Those that are still hard should be placed in the sun to ripen. Dog rose grows in mild temperature climate, on the sunny edges of forests, along paths and hedges, in valleys, and in the hills. Recently its use has been decorative.
NUTRITIVE VALUE
Dog rose is an exceptional medicinal plant. It contains 9,1 % water, 3,4% protein, 1,4% fat, 80 % carbohydrates, and 270 mg of vitamin C. Its seeds contain vitamin E and vanillin. Energy value of 100 g is 350 cal. Vitamin C in dog rose is not lost by cooking, but after a year in jams or liqueurs, its original value is down to a quarter. The fruit also contains vitamins A, D, and E, as well as fatty acids and antioxidant flavonoid.
IMPORTANT TO KNOW
There are many uses of this plant. We can consume the fruit and prepare tea, jams or oil from its fresh leaves. The syrup made from leaves is used in treatment of lung diseases, especially in chronic conditions such as asthma. The tea made from rose hip is beneficial in fighting fatigue and exhaustion, it boosts immunity, helps reduce infection, and has a refreshing effect in cases of diseases followed by fever. Only two cups of rose hip tea a day will replace the need for multivitamin intake in winter. Rose hip contains 20 times more vitamin C than orange, and it is a rich source of antioxidants. This is one of the reasons why rose hip has a beneficial effect on kidneys and bladder. Besides vitamin C, rose hip is abundant in vitamins A, D, and E, and essential fatty acids.
