Rooted in history

On the Montsià plains of Catalonia, farmers extract and sell oil from the fruit of protected Farga olive trees, some of which are over 1,000 years old. Former carpenter Amador Peset Celma is one of them, cultivating ancient trees around the town of Traiguera

YOU USED TO BE A CARPENTER. WHAT INSPIRED YOUR TRANSITION FROM WOODWORK TO CULTIVATING

OLIVE TREES?

My parents grew olive, carob and almond trees, so they were surprised when I decided to become a carpenter. I liked to turn old planks into doors and tables and give them beauty again. I found myself out of work in 2010 due to the financial crisis, so I made a career change and began to do the opposite, touching wood that is alive, seeing it grow and give oil.

IT’S THOUGHT THAT SOME FARGA OLIVE TREES WERE PLANTED AROUND 1,700 YEARS AGO. ARE YOURS AS OLD AS THAT?

It’s impossible to say. They have rotten centres due the passage of years, so the rings can’t be counted, and carbon dating doesn’t really work. But when I’m working with an ancient tree, it feels as if I’m restoring the Roman Colosseum or sphinxes in Egypt.

DOES THE EXTREME AGE OF THE TREES AFFECT THE TASTE OF THE OIL?

The flavour is dictated more by climate and by the variety of the tree, rather than its age, so oil from a 100-year-old Farga tree tastes the same as from a 1,500-year-old Farga. But you can’t compare an ancient building with an apartment from 2002, for example — they’re very di…erent things. We’re talking about specimens that produce the highestquality oil aˆer more than a millennium.

DOES THE OIL COST MORE BECAUSE THE TREES ARE OLD? It’s more the time and labour. Some of the oldest trees are around nine miles from the nearest farm, and all the work has to be done by hand. Half a litre costs €20 (£17), but you can’t call that expensive when you pay the same for a bottle of wine with a meal, while the oil might last you half a year. INTERVIEW: SP