Bidni

According to the "Maltese-English Dictionary",^[8] 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 contradicts several online sources that suggest that the word Bidni originated from the rural hamlet of Bidnija,^[9] or that the word means "hunchback" in the Maltese language.^[10][11]

In a landmark publication entitled, "Cultivation and Diseases of Fruit Trees in the Maltese Islands",^[5] 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.

Decades later, the Bitni's disease resistant qualities still baffle scientists. Described by the Olive Oil Times as a "peculiar local variety",^[12] the Bidni's high levels of polyphenols,^[13] particularly oleuropein,^[14] which is a natural antibiotic produced by the tree to protect its fruit and leaves, may be behind this remarkable characteristic. The Bitni's oil has been described as "spicy" and "peppery", a characteristic which differentiates it from other oils.^[15][16] Once fully established, fruit is produced in abundance, up to 60 kilos per tree.^[17]

The antiquity of Malta's ancient Bidni olive trees has been confirmed through carbon dating. Although the exact dates have been contested, with some noting that the trees were established during the mid-late Medieval period,^[18] others have argued that some of these olive trees date back to the 1st century A.D.^[19][20][21] The Bidni olive trees which are located just below an area known as Ġebel Għawżara have been protected since 1933,^[22] and are also listed in UNESCO's Database of National Cultural Heritage Laws.^[23] In 2011, after recognising their historical and landscape value, and in recognition of the fact that "only 20 trees remain from 40 at the beginning of the 20th century",^[24] local authorities declared this site as a Tree Protected Area,^[25] under the provisions of a regulation made in 2018.^[26] In 2021, two local entities were entrusted with the maintenance and protection of one of the olive groves located in Bidnija.^[27][28] These highly protected Bidni olive trees, with some measuring between five and eight metres in height, still bear fruit, and are often revered by visitors.^[29]

Since the Government of Malta has recognised the olive tree as forming an integral part of the traditional landscape, heavy pruning, felling, and uprooting of olive trees, including that of the Bidni variety, is subject to a permit from the relevant authorities.^[30]

Although the Bidni olive has no PDO status, there are a number of initiatives, which include studies on its genetic composition,^[31] to attain this certification. Apart from legally protecting its name, this status of authenticity is typically used by marketing professionals to gain a competitive advantage at both European and international markets.^[32]