Our Philosophy
The Art of the Nature
The Levantine area is known for its great climate and natural surroundings. The climate is ideal for olive oil production, as the temperature is warm enough to encourage growth, but not so hot that the olives would overripe. The region also gets a fair amount of rainfall, which is necessary for the olive trees to thrive. The olive trees in the Levant are some of the oldest in the world, and they produce some of the best olive oil.
The Art of the People
At Maknoon, we are part of a culture, a community, and the proud people that are part of it. We serve our community in our own way.
Being part of every step of the process, from the tree to your table, starts with choosing our suppliers. We only deal with small producers, family-owned businesses in Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine that cultivate olives the good old-fashioned way. Our business is to help them strive and stay in business.
The Art of the Process
The age-old process of extracting the oil from the olives is comprised of several stages: the crushing stage, the kneading or mixing stage, and the extraction stage. First, they are crushed into a paste which is done by rolling large round stones over them. The olive paste is then delicately remixed in order to begin extraction. The final stage is the oil extraction, which consists of sorting out the three different components of the olive paste: the oil, the water and the solids.
Our Olive Oil Process
From the soil of the Levant to your table - our process is tradition, preserved.
Handpicking Olives
Carefully Selecting
Sorting & Cleaning
Mechanical Mill Crushing
Cold Pressing
Bottling & Packaging
Meet the Olive Oil Sommelier Behind Maknoon
IÂ am an old-fashioned hippie with love and connection to my roots. I was raised by my grandmother while my parents were away in Saudi making a living. I remember growing up handpicking hibiscus and chicory leaves from the fields to help prepare lunch for my four siblings, and bathing in Arabic homemade soap that was 100% organic and pure.
From there on, the love and longing for the original scents and flavors have remained a big part of my 22-expatriate years in the UAE and have never left me. With that in mind and heart, I have decided to preserve and package those precious moments through presenting a piece of my heritage and culture, and that of the Levantine, to the world.
Olive oil is the most sacred most cherished produce of my land and the land surrounding me, Palestine and Syria. I wanted not only to bring the purest and most absolute olive oil I can source, but also to package it in the way that it deserves and present it with the notion of a gift, to people, from mother earth.
I do hope you carry this sentiment with you every time you purchase and hold one of Maknoon’s bottles. Whether you are buying it for your home or gifting it, you are participating in an ancient and well-preserved story that is here to stay.
Enjoy,
Hanan Wehbi
The Art of the Process
Hanan is passionate about preserving the Levantine heritage through olive oil, which is one of the reasons she started Maknoon. Through Maknoon, she has curated an experience that goes beyond tasting, one that is about understanding, appreciating, and mastering the craft of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. With deep-rooted knowledge and a passion for excellence, we invite you to explore the essence of olive oil like never before.
