Why olive wood? Benefits and why it costs more
Dense, durable and naturally hygienic: what sets olive wood apart from other woods, and why it's worth the price.
Olive wood costs more than beech, bamboo or acacia, and for good reason. What makes it so special, and why the price is justified, can be pinned to a few properties.
Dense, hard, durable
Olive trees grow slowly, often over centuries. The wood that results is exceptionally dense and considerably harder than most native kitchen woods. That density makes it resistant to cuts, scratches and moisture. A cared-for olive wood board easily lasts a lifetime.
Naturally hygienic
Wood was long considered unhygienic in the kitchen. Wrongly, as several studies now show. The tight, dense structure of olive wood absorbs barely any moisture in which germs could survive; many bacteria last worse on its surface than on plastic. Add to that the high share of natural oils in the wood, said to have a mildly antibacterial effect. For raw meat you still use a separate board. For bread, cheese, fruit and vegetables, though, olive wood is one of the cleanest surfaces there is.
More sustainable than you'd think
No tree that still bears olives is felled for olive wood. The wood comes from old trees that no longer yield, or from pruning. It's a by-product of the olive harvest that would otherwise be burned. Instead of scrap it becomes an object that lasts decades. Wood can hardly be used more sustainably.
Why it costs more
The price comes from the material itself. Olive trees grow crooked and gnarled, and the trunks are small. Only a few usable pieces can be won from one tree, and much wood is lost in cutting. The hard, irregular wood is difficult to work by machine; much stays handwork. What you pay for, then, is not the name but a rare material that takes real effort to shape, and that in the end lasts longer than any cheap alternative.
Our pieces come from Tunisian olive wood, from the land of ancient Carthage. Take a look.
