Like an Extra Virgin: The Attraction of Olive Oil in the Global North
A ZOOM DISCUSSION WITH ANNE MENELEY, THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 5:30 PM.
Anne Meneley, professor of anthropology at Trent University, in Ontario, will talk with us about her decades-long research into the history and politics behind Mediterranean olive-oil production, distribution, and consumption. From earliest Athens to the expensive restaurants of contemporary Northern California, the centrality of olive oil characterizes some of the most esteemed cuisines. Anne will discuss how our perceptions of olive oil’s “ancientness” and “naturalness” have joined with our perceptions of its “artisanality” and “extravirginity” to give it a “golden” reputation perhaps unrivaled by any other food.