The article that I will be reviewing is Oil, from Anne Meneley’s book Fat. The article opens by mentioning that in modern North America, though fat is regarded as bad and something to be avoided, extra virgin olive oil is becoming increasingly popular. Part of this is due to the positive health benefits of consuming extra-virgin olive oil. However, this cannot be the only reason; fish oil is also very healthy and yet is not nearly as popular. Meneley travels to Tuscany, Italy to learn more about this phenomena. There she discovers some important factors in extra-virgin olive oil’s popularity. Firstly, it is an oil associated with sophistication. It requires a discerning taste and it is agreed upon by renowned chefs worldwide that when it comes
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This is apparent in the way farmers treat their olives and oil, as well as in the way North American people—and their bodies—are viewed in contrast to those that live the ‘Mediteranean’ lifestyle. In fact, the whole Medeteranian lifestyle has a certain sensual appeal to it. Much of this comes directly from the North American view of Italy. Extra-virgin olive oil has come to be a symbol for the entire country and as such it takes on the attributes, real or imagined, of the country. It is not only the consumers, however, who view olive oil through a lens of sensuality. The Tuscan extra-virgin olive oil producers themselves have a much more literal view of the sensuality of the oil. It is not uncommon to hear them talk about their olives as if they were …show more content…
The whole Medeteranian lifestyle has a certain sensual appeal to it, an appeal that has become characteristic of the area. Extra-virgin olive oil has come to be a symbol for all things Italy. A symbol is an image, object, or an action that stands for something else. Consumers link extra virgin olive oil to the Mediterranean lifestyle, and by extension, Italy. In this sense, it is not so much the oil they are consuming but Italy itself, if only the idea of it. In the article, Meneley says that “Italian olive oil is described and marketed as being intertwinned with Italy as a site of beauty and
This is apparent in the way farmers treat their olives and oil, as well as in the way North American people—and their bodies—are viewed in contrast to those that live the ‘Mediteranean’ lifestyle. In fact, the whole Medeteranian lifestyle has a certain sensual appeal to it. Much of this comes directly from the North American view of Italy. Extra-virgin olive oil has come to be a symbol for the entire country and as such it takes on the attributes, real or imagined, of the country. It is not only the consumers, however, who view olive oil through a lens of sensuality. The Tuscan extra-virgin olive oil producers themselves have a much more literal view of the sensuality of the oil. It is not uncommon to hear them talk about their olives as if they were …show more content…
The whole Medeteranian lifestyle has a certain sensual appeal to it, an appeal that has become characteristic of the area. Extra-virgin olive oil has come to be a symbol for all things Italy. A symbol is an image, object, or an action that stands for something else. Consumers link extra virgin olive oil to the Mediterranean lifestyle, and by extension, Italy. In this sense, it is not so much the oil they are consuming but Italy itself, if only the idea of it. In the article, Meneley says that “Italian olive oil is described and marketed as being intertwinned with Italy as a site of beauty and