Olive Oil and Marzipane

On 17 July 2007 our class went to the Bistro and learned about olive oil. It was very interesting to listen to the mythology of the olive tree. The myth is based around a competition between Poseidon and Athena over the naming of a city in Greece. Both would offer a gift to the local inhabitants. Poseidon gave them cracked the ground with his trident and a spring of water was created, however, it was salt water and of no use to them. Athena gave the locals the olive tree which offered them a source of food, oil, and medicine. Athena obviously won out and the city was named Athens. The olive tree originated 6000 years ago and arrived in the Mediterranean via Persia. We learned of the different ways in which olives were cultivated and produced. This was very interesting and the tradition of olive oil to Sicily is still evident today. After this lecture, we went back to Babilonia where we met with Miguele, a man who had made marzipane since he was 14 years old and he is now 76. Marzipane is a very sweet delicacy that is made of egg whites, rose water, sugar, and almonds. However, it is more of art than anything else. These pastries can be made in the shape of fruits and they are brushed with different colored sugars that make them look real. All of the students had the opportunity to attempt to mold the “pasta” into different shapes. Ben’s was the best though. Afterwards we walked down to Miguele’s shop where all of the pastries were on display. We got to walk behind the counter and see the machinery they use to mix the ingredients just right.