Think of rich green extra virgin olive oil and most people’s minds will think of Italy, Spain or Greece, who between them produce over 90% of the world’s olive oil.

On this side of the pond people may mention California, where olives have been grown since the 18th century. The Californian olive oil industry declined for many decades until a resurgence in the last 20 years or so as more people began to appreciate the taste and benefits of olive oil.

Olives were also being grown in Georgia in the 18th century, as English settlers found them when they arrived in the 1730s, according to this history of olive growing in the state. It is believed that Spanish colonists may have planted them two centuries earlier.

Production dwindled in the 19th century thanks to a combination of factors including the Civil War and land being given over to more lucrative cotton plants.

The last decade has seen olive growing and oil production in Georgia enjoy a renaissance, led by Georgia Olive Farms in southeastern Georgia.

I recently invested in a bottle of their extra virgin olive oil and was pleasantly surprised. This isn’t an oil to cook with but one to use to drizzle and dress to enjoy the taste.

One simple yet delicious way to use good olive oil is “fettunta”. Literally translated from Italian as an “oiled slice” it is one of those things where simple but good ingredients combine to produce something sublime.

It doesn’t really need a recipe: take some good bread, grill it, rub with a clove of garlic and then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Eat and enjoy.