The Story
My name is Bilal. I am a physician by practice and a plantsman by calling.
A dream led me to planting an olive grove in the backyard of our family home in the Beqaa valley of Lebanon (1,050 m altitude). A dream of self-sufficiency for my family and my country which soon turned into a relentless passion.
Characterized by an aromatic, fruity and piquant taste, this sustainably produced olive oil is the rich liquid gold of our dwarf Arbequina trees. Standing the test of the Beqaa’s harsh climate, our chemical-free, organic and hand picked olives are cold-pressed within 24 hours from harvest, giving the oil a full bodied and delicious flavor.
The love and commitment put into this small scale grove have been inspired by my wife Diala and my two daughters Haya & Ghiya, for whom this oil is dedicated to and named after.
The Legend of Arbequina
During the 17th Century, the Duke of Medinaceli - who owned a vast area of the Iberian Peninsula including Arbequa (now Arbeca) - made a visit to Jerusalem. There, he became enchanted by the taste of an extraordinary olive oil, unknown to him. He brought the seeds of these olives back to Spain and told his farmers to plant them for oil. And so it remained for several centuries.
The oil is clean, fresh and herbal together with notes of apple, sweet almond and artichoke undertones. It is fruity without a lot of bitterness and with minor pungency. Its fragile flavor profile makes it the ideal everyday Olive Oil.
The shrub's tiny and hardy characteristics allow for large density planting. Given the small-scale of our land, the Arbequina variety was the perfect choice to optimize production.
Through ASTARTE & ANATH’s premium extra virgin olive oil, we are proud to revive the legendary and levantine Arbequina tree.