Originating in Asia, the olive is one of the oldest crops known to mankind. It later spread through all the countries bordering Mediterranean Sea where 98% of the world’s olive trees are concentrated and over 90% of the world’s olives are produced.
The table below shows how the olive is distributed by country:
The composition of olive fruits depends on the stage of ripeness or maturity. In ripe fruit, the kernel makes up 2-3% of the total weight, the stone some 13-23%, the pulp (mesocarp) some 65-92% and skin 1-2%.
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