WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Olives and grapes were not only used as food, but were also turned into other products. Olives were pressed and their oils served for cooking, as lamp fuel and even as soap. Grapes were turned into wine. Both wine and olive oil became trade items for the Ancient Greeks.

Detailed explanation-2: -Greeks domesticated grapes about 4000 years ago to improve wine-making.

Detailed explanation-3: -In ancient Greece, they used stone weights, hung from wooden beams, to crush the olives and form the olive pulp. It was then kneaded and poured from stone bases into special containers for the separation of virgin olive oil from water.

Detailed explanation-4: -According to writings found, ancient Greeks made wine by mixing 50 parts of must with one part of seawater. Many believed that this method of winemaking had been deevloped by Dionysus, the god of wine, as evidenced by the myth that when he was threatened by the mythical king of Thrace Lycurgus, he found refuge at sea.

Detailed explanation-5: -Olive oil is a huge part of Greek cooking and culture. It is used to dress pans before cooking and poured over Greek salads and cheeses to eat. As a matter of fact, most Greeks get a majority of their daily fat from this healthy source.