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T he Mediterranean region may be best known for its healthy, longevity-promoting diet, and most people associate olive oil and olives as part of this nourishing fare. But what fewer people know is that infusions made from the leaves of olive plants are also part of the traditional diet of the region. It turns out that these leaves may offer many of the same health benefits as olive oil, and they have several parallels to the cultural role that tea leaves play in Asia. Traveling through Italy and Slovenia last summer, I had the chance to experience this herbal infusion firsthand—it's commonly referred to as oliveleaf tea, though it does not hail from the Camellia sinensis plant and so is actually a tisane. I traveled from the olive grove to the tea cup, talking to an olive farmer, an herbal-infusion expert and more to round out my understanding of this long-used though littleknown herbal infusion. tion, becoming an ingrained part of the local landscape, culture and history over centuries. It is no surprise, then, that olive groves span much of the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea and the nearby Adriatic Sea, including the shores of countries commonly associated with the trees (Italy, Greece, Spain and Morocco) as well as some less discussed coastal nations (like Slovenia, Algeria and Tunisia). And like the tea plant, the olive tree's cultivation doesn't end near its origins. Although it's native to the Mediterranean region, the olive tree can now be found in many warm, coastal climates around the world, including those of seaside South Africa, Peru and Australia. Still, most of these trees are used for their olives, and outside the traditional growing region, few people have heard of the benefits of olive-leaf tea. COMMON USES FOR OLIVE-LEAF INFUSIONS THE FAMED OLIVE TREE C O U R T E SY O F S TA C E Y LO C K Y E R According to herbalist and Sources say that the traditional author Rosemary Gladstar, the health uses for olive-leaf infuolive tree plays "a very imporsions are nearly as broad and tant role in every country where varied as the uses for olive oil it's found growing." She says olive in a kitchen. Gladstar says olive trees have been cultivated for use leaves are most widely used to as medicine and food since 3500 benefit the circulatory system B.C. Food science and technology and that they "are a well-known engineer Branka Skrt, who is also and effective antiseptic" with a an organic olive farmer, adds that "long history for wound cleansing although olive trees are dependent and healing." on the local climate, trees grown Stacey Lockyer, an olive-leaf under prosperous conditions can researcher at Massey University's live up to 1,000 years. Institute of Food, Nutrition and Culturally there is a long-standHuman Health in New Zealand, USEFUL TREE: Researcher Stacey Lockyer is studying the ing spiritual association with olive adds: "Anecdotally, olive leaf has effects of olive-leaf extract on the heart. oil, sources say. Gladstar says that been found useful in treating although olive oil is primarily known as a fine culinary oil today, hypertension, diabetes, urinary infections, headaches, liver it has long been used for healing and was "probably the base of colic, gastroenteritis, nephritis, wounds, burns, ulcers, fevers oils used for ritual anointing in the Bible." She notes that the and malaria." olive leaf is also deeply symbolic across the Mediterranean, where Sramel of Papaja says that olive leaf has been used for medicinal it is seen as the emblem of peace. Vesna Sramel, the director of purposes since ancient Egyptian times. He adds that it has also Slovenian herb-producing company Papaja, adds that olive oil been used as a remedy for psychological and physical health conwas considered to be sacred in Ancient Greece, where it was used ditions since the 19th century. Other anecdotal health benefits to light the lamps of temples and to fuel the flame of the early Sramel links with the panacea-like olive leaf include: Olympic Games. • Increased energy for people with chronic fatigue syndrome In a way, the olive tree is to the Mediterranean what the tea • An overall sense of well-being plant is to much of Asia. It would seem that much like old tea • A strengthened immune system trees, these plants are handed down from generation to genera• A reduction in symptoms of psoriasis, shingles, hemorrhoids, continued on page 42 freshcup.com September 2013 41