Where Does Olive Oil Come From? History, Origin, and Production

Olive oil is one of the oldest foods on earth. It predates written language, shaped ancient economies, and traveled across the Mediterranean world carried by sea. Today it sits in kitchens in nearly every country. But where does olive oil actually come from — and how did it get from an ancient shrub in the Middle East to your pantry?

This is a story that spans thousands of years and crosses most of the known world.

Where Does the Olive Fruit Come From?

The olive fruit originates from Asia Minor — the region encompassing modern-day Syria, Turkey, and parts of the broader Levant. This is where the wild olive plant was first domesticated by humans. In its wild state, the olive is not the graceful tree we picture today — it grows as a dense, scrubby bush, short and rugged. The beautiful olive trees we know are the product of thousands of years of human selection and cultivation.

Archaeological evidence places the earliest confirmed olive oil production at approximately 6,000 years ago. Research published in New Phytologist — drawing on radiocarbon chronology, palaeobotany, and genetics — confirms the northern Levant as the primary cradle of olive domestication, with cultivated varieties then spreading westward across the Mediterranean basin. By the Early Bronze Age, olive oil was already functioning as a primary currency, medicine, and fuel source across the region. For the full story, see our dedicated post on the history of the olive.

How Olive Oil Spread Across the Mediterranean

From the Levant to Greece

The olive first reached Greece, where it was being cultivated on the island of Crete by around 3,000 BCE. For the ancient Greeks, olive oil was sacred — a gift from the goddess Athena and a cornerstone of religious ceremony, athletic competition, and trade. It was one of the earliest high-value commodities in the ancient world.

From Greece to Italy: The Romans Scale Up

From Greece, the olive moved to Italy — carried by Greek colonists who settled the southern regions of the peninsula from around the 8th century BC. The Romans then transformed olive cultivation into a true industrial enterprise. As the empire expanded, olive trees followed. The Romans developed new cultivars, built sophisticated pressing facilities, and created a trade network stretching from North Africa to Britain.

By the height of the Roman Empire, southern regions like Calabria and Puglia were already the primary oil-producing engines of the empire — a status they still hold today as the drivers of Italian production. For context on how Italy's regions break down today, see our complete guide to Italian extra virgin olive oil.

Where Is Olive Oil Produced Today?

Today, olive oil is produced across the entire Mediterranean basin and in newer growing regions that share a similar climate — California, Australia, Chile, and South Africa among them. According to the International Olive Council, the countries that produce the most olive oil by volume are Spain, Italy, Greece, Tunisia, and Turkey.

Spain leads in volume by a wide margin. Italy leads in cultivar diversity — home to over 650 native varieties, more than any other country. Within Italy, the south produces over 88% of national output, dominated by Puglia and followed by Calabria. Our groves at EXAU sit on the Ionian coast of Calabria, on land that Giuseppe's family has farmed since 1927.

How Is Olive Oil Made? Ancient vs. Modern

The basic principle of making olive oil has not changed in 6,000 years: crush the fruit and separate the oil. What has changed is the technology used to prevent oxidation and preserve quality.

The Ancient Method: Stone Mills and Presses

For most of history, olives were crushed using large stone mills and pressed under heavy wooden or hydraulic presses. The method worked, but it had a fundamental flaw: the olive paste was exposed to oxygen for hours during pressing. Oxidation degrades polyphenols and aromatic compounds — the very things that make high-quality extra virgin olive oil valuable.

The Modern Method: Cold Extraction by Centrifuge

The transformation came in the 1960s with the introduction of industrial centrifuge decanters. Companies like Alfa Laval pioneered continuous centrifuge systems that allow for a closed, largely oxygen-free environment. In a modern mill, olives are crushed and the oil is separated from water and solids in a high-speed centrifuge in a matter of hours — not days. This cold extraction preserves the polyphenols and aromatic compounds that define a genuinely high-quality EVOO.

When you see "First Cold Pressed" on a label, it is often a marketing reference to the older pressing method — now largely obsolete in quality production. Modern high-quality producers do not press; they extract. For the full breakdown of what happens between grove and bottle, see our guide on how extra virgin olive oil is made.

Where Does EXAU Olive Oil Come From?

Our oil comes from the Ionian coast of Calabria, Italy. The fruit that becomes EXAU olive oil has its roots in the same ancient tradition that began 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor — traveling from the Levant to Greece, from Greece to Rome, and eventually to the groves tended by the Morisani family for nearly a century. Single origin means we can trace every bottle back to those specific trees on that specific stretch of coastline. Nothing is blended in. Nothing is purchased from outside.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country produces the most olive oil?

Spain is the world leader by volume, producing roughly 40% of global output in a strong harvest year. Italy is second globally and leads in cultivar diversity. Within Italy, the south — particularly Puglia and Calabria — produces over 88% of national output. Tuscany, despite its fame, accounts for only about 2–3% of Italy's total production.

Is olive oil made by pressing or extraction?

High-quality extra virgin olive oil is made by centrifugal cold extraction in a closed system, not traditional pressing. The pressing method exposed olive paste to oxygen for extended periods, degrading quality. Modern centrifuge extraction happens in hours and preserves the polyphenols and flavor compounds that make genuinely great EVOO. For more detail, see our guide on how extra virgin olive oil is made.

What makes extra virgin olive oil different from regular olive oil?

Extra virgin is the highest grade of olive oil. It must be cold extracted, have a free acidity below 0.8%, and pass a sensory evaluation with no detectable defects. Regular olive oil is refined — it has been processed with heat or chemicals to remove defects, which also removes much of the flavor, aroma, and health-beneficial compounds. For the full breakdown, see our guide on what extra virgin olive oil means.

Where was olive oil first produced?

The earliest evidence of systematic olive oil production points to the eastern Mediterranean — the northern Levant region spanning modern Syria and Turkey — dating back approximately 6,000 years. From there, cultivation spread westward through Greece, then Italy, then across the entire Mediterranean basin as trade networks and empires expanded.

Shop our 100% Italian extra virgin olive oil, made in Calabria, single origin, and family farmed since 1927.

We wrote a book called The Olive Oil Enthusiast. Order your copy today.