The Empordà has a long-standing tradition in the cultivation of the olive tree, which began with the Greeks when they landed here in the sixth century BC and founded the colonies of Empúries and Roses, later to become bustling trade centres. The tradition was upheld by the Romans and Benedictine monks until reaching the extent and quality of the production today, amounting to more than two thousand hectares of olive trees. Its quality is guaranteed by its Denomination of Origin, created in 2008. The municipalities under this distinction belong to both counties of Empordà, as well as some areas of Gironès and Pla de l'Estany. Empordà oil is characterised by its clear, limpid and transparent appearance, offering a different taste and sensation depending on the fruit that produced it. Its uniqueness is due to the varieties: arguedell, corivell, verdal (llei de Cadaqués) and arbequina, introduced at the end of the 20th century. The olive crop is influenced by the Tramuntana wind, whose strength often forces the harvesting of the olives when they are still green, towards early winter. The olives are picked in the traditional way and then are sent to the trull, the olive press mill where the oil is obtained by mechanical procedures in conditions that avoid alterations and preserve its properties. Its quality suggests it be consumed raw, with pa amb tomàquet or in salads, but it is also very suitable for all kinds of cooked dishes.