Growing up as part of a Greek American family that takes its cuisine very seriously, I was exposed heavily to many of the classic Greek foods: olives, feta cheese, and stuffed grape leaves to name a few.
The olive tree is among the oldest known cultivated trees in the world.
In the past several hundred years the olive has spread to North and South America, Japan, New Zealand and Australia.
My experience with olives started when I was very young.
People living in the Mediterranean area who use olive oil as their main source of fat have surprisingly low susceptibility to heart disease.