Fruit
- In the Mediterranean, the latitudes, the moderate temperature, the long hours of daylight, and the sea's humidity have allowed a wide variety of fruits to develop. Since ancestral times, this region has witnessed the farming of grapes, almonds, figs, dates, hazelnuts, pistachios and carob. Other crops, despite being introduced, are also Mediterranean classics, such as citrus fruits (oranges, mandarins and lemons), peaches, melons, watermelon, pears, etc.
- Fruit is another element of the traditional Mediterranean diet and has been present since ancient times. In Ancient Greece, for example, figs were the favorite. They were eaten as an appetizer with wine, or with food, and Plato reported that they were the finest food for an athlete. It is known that romans had the custom of eating fruit after meals: they knew it satiates the appetite (because of the fructose) and in their feasts and banquets they offered fruit for dessert.
- Trade between Mediterranean nations has existed since ancient times. Egypt was the first big agricultural producer in the Mediterranean, due to the fertility of the silty lands next to the Nile. They produced, large amounts of figs, dates, grapes, pomegranates and almonds, and exchanged these and other crops with other Mediterranean nations.
- Currently, the Mediterranean region is an important producer of fruit, responsible for 14% of global production in 2007. Of these countries, Italy, Spain and Turkey are the major producers. The EU is the main importer of fruit from Mediterranean countries, as well as the main exporter to those countries.
17/06/2011 - 16:33
