Olives, oil, vinegar, and escabeches

Despite the fact that the olive tree was introduced by the Phoenicians and Greeks, the word aceite, oil, actually derives from the Arabic az-zait, since it was the Moors who perfected and expanded oil production. Though, for a few centuries after the Reconquista, lard (manteca) muscled in on this elixir, yet again as culinary proof of religious identity. Luckily, Spain rediscovered olive oil in the 19^th century, and today one-third of Andalusian land is striped with regimented groves of some 170 million olive trees. It may be visible proof that Andalucía is the world’s largest producer of olive oil but, long ago, I was amazed to learn that after export to Italy some of that oil reemerges from bottling plants labeled as “Tuscan.”