Bidni

Bidni
Clusters of Bidni olives ripening on the tree
Olive (Olea europaea)
Origin	Malta
Use	Oil, table

The Bidni, which is also referred to as Bitni, is an olive cultivar from the Mediterranean island of Malta. The fruit is small in size, and is renowned for its superior oil which is thought to be low in acidity. The latter is generally attributed to the poor quality alkaline soil found on the Maltese Islands. As an indigenous olive cultivar, the Bidni has developed a unique DNA profile, and is believed to be among the most ancient species on the island, triggering local authorities to declare some of these ancient trees as "national monuments", a status which is enjoyed by only a handful of other species.

According to the "Maltese-English Dictionary", the word Bidni is derived from "badan", which means "corpulent", "robust", "to grow stout". Bidni ("żebbuġ", olive), is a "large olive tree producing very small olives". Therefore, the tree is called Bidni because it is "corpulent". This dispels several online sources which suggest that the word Bidni originated from the rural hamlet of Bidnija, or that the word means "hunchback" in the Maltese language.

In a landmark publication entitled, "Cultivation and Diseases of Fruit Trees in the Maltese Islands", John Borg (1922), Professor of Natural History, Superintendent of Agriculture, and founder of the Government's Experimental Farm at Għammieri, described the Bitni as follows:

"The tree is a vigorous grower and of strong constitution. The leaves are broad and rather short, of a lively shining green colour on the upper surface. The fruit is very small, nearly elliptical, with a comparatively very small stone, and turns to a beautiful shining dark violet at maturity, which takes place towards the close of October or early in November. It is very rich in oil of excellent quality, but the fruit though very small is often pickled or salted and has a rich flavour free from bitterness. The fruit is produced in clusters, and the production is sometimes astonishing, the tree becoming literally black with fruit. The tree and its fruit are very resistant to disease, the fruit presents also the advantage that it is never attacked by the olive-fly Dacus Oleae and is therefore always allowed to ripen on the tree. This is a variety which seems to be best suited for large plantations, with a view to the production of oil" (p. 109).