Mare Talijancic (L) proudly shows collec

IGRANE, CROATIA: Mare Talijancic (L) proudly shows collected olives before rushing to transport them by boat with her husband Jure (R) for pressing at southern Adriatic Croatian village of Igrane 10 November 2006, as the traditional olive harvest period finishes. It is important to process olives within 24 hours so that all the natural characteristics remain unchanged. People of the Mediterranean once used olive oil as a means of payment, while in the Middle Ages it was used instead of currency. Olive oil produced by ?cold pressing? ? without adding substances and heating is called ?virgin oil? and has extreme value in gastronomy today. Croatia is rapidly boosting its olive oil industry in the last few years. AFP PHOTO/Stringer (Photo credit should read STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images)