Frequently Asked Questions
History
The discoveries of archeologists showcase the presence of the olive tree in Greece since the Neolithic era.
The systematic cultivation of olives was certified in the Mycenaean era, where even olive seeds were found in pots both in Knossos and Archanes.
The quarrel of the goddess Athena with Poseidon over the name of the city of Athens, finds the goddess victorious. Thereafter, the goddess Athena plants the tree on the Acropolis and teaches the Athenians on how they can grow olives.
From antiquity, oil was one of the most important factors in the Greek economy, as it was main element of their diet.
However its use did not stop there, as they used it for a medicine in many diseases, as a cosmetic for the skin, as a fuel in order to generate light, but also as grease in mechanisms. It’s also known for its use as a preservative of the ivory statue of Zeus in Ancient Olympia, which is considered as one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Euripides names Messinia "Kallikarpo", due to its beauty and fertile rich land, which is the land of olive and oil.
From ancient times, the olive tree has been a symbol of wisdom, peace and victory. That’s why Olympic winners solely received a wreath of olive branch as a price, also known as "kotino", which was made by "kalistefano oil", which was located in the temple of Hera in Ancient Olympia.
Further in the Old Testament, God guided Noah to build an ark in order to be saved from the flood that would hit the earth due to the moral decline of man. When the flood was over, Noah sent a dove in order to be sure that the flood was over and it was safe to return back to land. The dove came back with an olive branch, the above symbolized that there was finally peace between God and human.
Information Regarding Olive Oil
It’s the oil obtained by the first cold pressing of the fruit by mechanical methods, without any chemicals. Top class olive oil with exceptional taste, which retains all its beneficial ingredients for the human body. It has a slight spark in the taste and it can be easily consumed right after its production.
It owes its leading position in the food chain of the Mediterranean diet to its valuable ingredients. Such as, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, polyphenols (which offer antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties), vitamins A,D,E,B,C,K, flavonoids, fiber, sodium, minerals (calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, selenium, copper) and much more. All the above rightfully place olive oil in one of the 10 best foods worldwide.
There is a variety of olive oils that some are used as tabletops and others to produce olive oil. The finest olives that produce olive oil with excellent properties are Koroneiki, Athinolia, and Manaki.
Greece is the 3rd largest olive oil producing country in the world, with varieties that give us olive oil with different characteristics, which rank us as the number one country in the world for excellent quality of extra virgin olive oil.
It comes from a combination of production know-how and taste characteristics. Starting from, the correct observance of the agronomists’ instructions of the right way of cultivating the olive tree and reaching the standardization and packaging of olive oil. It is a long procedure that needs careful execution, only then we can obtain the best quality olive oil.
Τhe structure of the soil in Greece and its particular warm climate benefit the growth of various olive trees. The above help the country produce a whooping 80% of the domestic production of extra virgin olive oil. The different variations that our country enables us to cultivate offer fresh olive juice, which is also know from ancient days as “the golden juice”. The know-how as well as the passion for the production of the best olive available and the proper storage of olive oil in stainless steel tanks offers you an unbeatable product both in taste and color. According to numerous scientific studies, olive oil has been recognized as the best choice among any vegetable or animal fat. The product also contributes to the establishment of a balanced diet, which is highly beneficial for the human body.
Our Olive Oil
There are plenty of ways for the for the collection of the olive from the olive tree, which mostly depend on the quality and the cost of the olive oil we wish to produce. The best, but also most costly way, of collecting olives are by hand. Μore specifically, when the olives start to turn dark but are not yet fully matured, using the above neither the tree nor the olive will get injured, and all in all it will result in a first-class finished product. Different methods exist as well, such as the collection with sticks, the gathering from the floor and the collection with vibration. However, by using those methods the olive oil will lack significantly in quality.
Usually the olives are picked up in bags or crates and taken inside the olive press, where the fruit is crushed to produce olive oil. In order to have the best possible result, apart from the variety, the conditions and the way of collection are also really important. A significant and essential part of the collection is correct time until the squeezing of the fruit, as well as the operation of the mill. All the above tasks should be carried out as soon as possible. Our choice is the above to be completed within 24hours, to protect the olives from alterations.
After the fruit is washed and cleaned from dirt, it is taken in a machine where the olive yeast is produced, which consists of both liquid and solid components of the olive. Thereafter, the olive oil is led to softening and pressured machines, where the oil will also be separated from other components of the fruit. Throughout the whole process, the temperature of the water used shouldn’t surpass the 27oC, as that is the best temperature in order to produce excellent olive oil.
The freshly squeezed olive oil is stored in special stainless-steel tanks with conical bottom, in order to best separate mold from the liquid oil. Our basic care and condition of the storage space of our olive oil is simple, but yet very important, to be clean. Because oil is a hypersensitive product that tends to absorb whiff.
One of the best olive oil varieties is Koroneiki. It’s considered the queen of the Greek olive, product that has lasted centuries and is of systematic cultivation, mainly produced in the region of Messinia. It gives a strong aroma and taste, with light spark of the olive oil. It’s really valuable and beneficial for the human body and has a low acidity of 0.25.
The Koroneiki array has taken its name from the town of Koroni in the district of Messinia. The quality of the soil combined with the correct collection of the olive from November to December, gives a golden green color, with bitter taste and aromas of apple with particularly low acidity. It contains ingredients that help maintain the human body in good health and holds an important place in the chain of the Mediterranean diet.
You can get our top of the range products from the company’s headquarters, delicatessen shop, selected gourmet restaurants and 5-star hotels in Chalkidiki.
We pack our unique product in only glass bottles and in tinplate. Transparent square glass bottles for gifts in 250ml and 500ml, dark green glass bottle for daily use 750ml, 500ml, 250ml and cans in family packaging of 5lt.
Health & Beauty
The World Health Organization launched an investigation in the 60s and which ended 30 years after discovering and confirming that the Mediterranean diet prolongs life and protects against heart disease and cancer.
In the food pyramid, therefore this extra virgin olive oil and olives occupy an important place as daily consumption of helping the body to not "rust" contributing to the smooth functioning of organs such as the stomach, liver, bile, intestine, and the heart by increasing good cholesterol (HDL ) while reducing the bad (LDL).
Since the time of Hippocrates, who referred to olive oil as a medicine for more than 60 diseases, people used it for their personal hygiene. With this they cleaned, flavored and cared over their body.
The application of olive oil can slow down skin aging, making it more elastic, smooth and soft. Preventing dryness and wrinkles. This is why it is added to many skin care products.
It is also beneficial to the scalp helping repairing damaged hair follicles providing moisture to the hair making it soft and shiny.
In recent years considered the "yellow gold" of anti-aging diet and beauty. Its properties in the protection of diseases but also the cosmetic care of human are already known since ancient times. Antioxidants and the content of vitamin E is an important factor in slowing down aging process. Either alone or as a component of a cosmetic formulation promotes good quality skin and hair.
Since ancient times people used olive oil to cleanse and revitalize the skin. Instead of spreading out an expensive body cream, prefer to massage a little olive oil and you will get a soft, smooth and perfectly hydrated skin.
Get a new daily habit of putting a small amount of olive oil in the cotton to wipe the makeup from your face, and in the evening before bed time remember to spread some in your hands. Gradually you will notice that your skin becomes smooth and shiny and your nails harder.