Ligurian proverbs on oil are not lacking!
The olive tree is a millenary plant that over time has been a great source of inspiration: ancient and modern men have seen in this green nectar not only a gastronomic and nutritional value, but also a historical and landscape value.
In fact, we often make the mistake of identifying only the culinary aspect in olive oil, when the cultural aspect is of equal importance.
The focus on the relationship between man and territory is now increasingly accentuated: in the past as well as in the present.
Proverbs, aphorisms, popular sayings, beliefs have always been part of human existence and are now an integral and indispensable part of it.
The olive tree in popular culture has always inspired idioms that have become real life metaphors.
Both oil and olive trees have intertwined their history with that of man since ancient times: the Greeks painted it everywhere.
A sacred product offered by the earth that deserves to be handed down from generation to generation.
Here are some Ligurian proverbs of the olive and oil world
•“E pane nu sun urive – e urive nu sun öriu e l’öriu u nu l’è sodi ” (Olive flowers are not yet olives, olives are not yet oil and oil is transformed into money only if it is of good quality)
• “Se l’uriva a rènde, u vilàn u spènde” (If the olive makes, the farmer spends)
• “S’u ciœve de zenâ u ven l’öriu pé a canâ.” (If it rains in January the oil goes down the gutter of the house, if it rains in January it will be a great year for olive oil).
• “Öriu, dônne e bricchetti, nu ne manca mai.” (olive Oil, women and matches, there are never a shortage. There is always oil to buy)
•“A San Francescu, öriu frescu.” (In San Francesco fresh oil. On October 4th the olive milling season began. Today the mills open a few days later)
•“Primma se catta l’ommu c’ha robba.” (First you buy the man and then the stuff, it is important to know who is selling, especially in the olive oil world)
•“Gumbu fermu, brüttu segnu.” (oil mill stopped, bad sign. Those who do not work do not eat).
•“Marsu ciœvi ciœvi! Avrì nu cessà mai! Ancù in ruggiu de mazzu, poi a n’ammu assai.” (March rain rain, April never cease, one more shake in May and then we have enough. The invocation to the spring months to distribute rainy and abundant presents that nourish the olive tree.)
