Oil-lympic flame burns at the Olivery

Oil-lympic flame burns at the Olivery

For over 6,000 years olive oil has been used for cooking, medicinal, trade, war, athletics and lighting.

After nine years enjoying Olive Oil at Telegraph Hill, owner Geoff Crawford was surprised to learn that olive oil can be used for lighting. Intrigued, Geoff had to make an olive oil burning lamp. A quick Google search and five minutes later it was made from a cotton wick, piece of wire, glass jar and olive oil. Its simplicity was amazing.

The Olympic flame was once powered by Olive Oil, and it is again at Telegraph Hill. With the Olympics beginning on Saturday Geoff will light the olive oil flame as a symbol of the Olympic flame. It will burn for the duration of the Olympics. Visitors to the Olivery can see it in the Tasting room. Of course its no ordinary lantern, this one is burning in a bottle of Telegraph Hill extra virgin olive oil.

There is a long history of olive oil and Olympics. It is generally thought that the Olympics began in 773BC. Athletes would cover themselves in olive oil before competing, and the winning athlete wouldn’t get a gold medal, just and olive branch and the glory of winning. Later the prize would be an amount of olive oil.

Olive oil is a relatively safe burning oil, it will not burn without a wick, so if an olive oil lamp falls over, it will not start a fire. In the simplest of lamps the wick can be submersed/dowsed in the oil to put it out.

The simplicity and easily found household ingredients mean that an olive oil lamp could be made from items already in the home and could be in every homes earthquake kit.

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