From Biddya with Love

Olive oil is Biddya's lifeblood.

A village in Palestine, Biddya is surrounded by thousands of acres of olive groves, many of which have been owned and managed by my family for hundreds of years.

Inspiration

It finally clicked when mom gave me the call. "Why don't you come to the olive harvest while I'm visiting" she nudged. "The crop looks amazing this year." I had been planning to take sabbatical for over a year but hadn't pulled the trigger. Mom in Palestine during a peak olive harvest? Say no more. I had the signals I needed to make the call.

Tradition

I joined cousins Furat and Oday as well as full time falaheen (farm laborers) Hassan and Abu-Mou'ad for a traditional harvest. On a warm sunny day we hand plucked olives, taking breaks to nosh on wood-fired shakshuka, and sip round after round of coffee and tea.

A dream became reality. The only entertainment coming from our labor, lighthearted conversation, and Abu-Mou'ads freestyle poetry, I felt transported to an analog era. To the time of my grandparents and those who came before them.

The Art of Harvesting

Step 1

The Groves

We hand pick the olives all day

Step 2

Traditional Harvesting

Abu-mou'ad shakes the olives out, while freestyling poetry.

Step 3

Hand Picking

Pulling low hanging fruit for satisfaction

Step 4

Ground Work

Hassan makes shakshuka and round after round of coffee over olive wood flame.

Final Step

Sorting

We separate out leaves and twigs after harvesting

From Olive to Oil

Step 1

Loading

Load the hopper with olive crop

Step 2

Washing & Separating

Rinse and separate out the leaves and stems.

Step 3

Milling Process

Cold water pressed and milled

Step 4

Oil Extraction

Extract pure, golden green olive oil

Final Step

Final Product

The finished, bottled olive oil

Enjoy it

To get the most out of the dreamy oil, store it at room temp and add it to whatever you like. Some suggestions:

Pour it into a bowl and dip it with your favorite bread. Fresh pita, baguette, or sourdough will do! Sprinkle salt to taste.
Drizzle it on your favorite dip! Hummus, labneh, or zaatar all work well.
Make a salad dressing.
Heck, drink it straight!

Whatever you do please don't fry with this stuff, ok? High heat degrades the taste and health benefits. Leave that job to your store bought oils. A quality olive oil should have a hint of a peppery burn and you owe it to yourself to experience that touch of spice.

The Project Continues

After the '22 harvest, I bought a small olive grove in Biddya nestled between my aunts' and uncles' plots. My cousin Furat continues to manage my family's land, employing the help of the local farm workers like Hassan and Abu-mu'ad to tend to the grove.

Olive trees are low maintenance as they are native to Palestine. Once a year, we harvest, prune, and fertilize them. No irrigation required.

The October '24 vintage is the first distribution from my plot of land. Hope you love it.