Frequently Asked Questions
THE STORY
According to Professor of Classical Archaeology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Panagiotis Faklaris, a host of archaeological evidence reveals the existence of olive trees in the Hellenic territory since the Neolithic era, namely 7,000 years ago.
The olive has been considered by Greeks a blessed fruit since antiquity: an emblem of knowledge, wisdom, abundance, health, power and beauty. Legends, traditions, religious and athletic ceremonies have relied upon it.
According to the Greek mythology, the Olympian Gods. Athena and
Poseidon, competed on the sacred rock of Acropolis for the patronage of the city. The winner would be the one who would offer the most precious gift. Athena, the goddess of wisdom and knowledge, struck her spear on the rock and an olive tree sprang forth. The Athenians, as a token of gratitude, named the city “Athens” after the goddess, who also taught them how to cultivate the olive tree.
Tradition has it that the first olive tree, the gift of goddess Athena, that sprang on the sacred rock of Acropolis next to the Erectheum, gave the 12 sacred olive trees of the Academy which symbolize the twelve gates of Athens. These later spread and created the holy grove of the city of Pallas, the Athens olive grove.
The olive branch was awarded to the winners of the Olympic Games since 776 B.C. and in antiquity symbolized the peace and mandatory truce all over the world throughout the duration of the Games.
OUR OIL
No. According to the International Olive Oil Council, the quality of olive oil is assessed based on three criteria: acidity, oxidation, organoleptic characteristics (taste, smell, colour).
It is the olive oil obtained solely from the olive drupes with the use of mechanical or other natural means that do not lead to degradations in the end product quality. Basically, it is an organic fruit juice including all the nutrients that are beneficial to our health.
It is the extra virgin olive oil with maximum free acidity of 0.8gr per 100 gr of olive oil, or free acidity less than 0.8%.
Its acidity is less than 0.25% !
The olives should be harvested at the best stage of the fruit maturity, known as industrial maturity stage. The olive starts gathering oil in the cell around late July or early August, it builds up during the autumn and winter months and peaks around mid November – January. The exact calculation of the appropriate time for harvesting depends on the cultivar, weather conditions, region and soil fertility.
This stage seems to coincide with the time when the skin of the
olive starts changing colour – from green-yellow to inky-violet.
The extra virgin olive oil is produced by a cultivar called Koroneiki.
It is a very important cultivar distinguished for its yield, the quality of oil it produces and its resilience in the hot and dry Greek regions. In Greece it is grown almost everywhere but it is widely spread in the Peloponnese and Crete. The fruit’s content in oil is very high. It produces exquisite oil with unique aroma and rich taste, and is justly considered a cultivar with top-tier
organoleptic characteristics.
The answer comes from the following key-features which give the
Greek olive oil its superior and unique quality:
a) The cultivar of olive trees: In Greece there are unique cultivars of olive trees, such as the Koroneiki, which do not grow in other oil-producing countries.
b) Climate and morphology: The chemical composition of the Greek
soil (rocky and dry) in combination with a climate favourable to olive oil (temperate climate, extensive sunlight and relatively stable temperatures without great fluctuations) enhance the olive oil’s organoleptic characteristics leading to the production of olive oil of the finest quality.
Olive oil and healthy diet
Since antiquity the natural extract of olives have constituted the basis of the food chain for all peoples in the Mediterranean who have used it as the main source of fat in their daily diet. Its nutritive and biological value for humans is crucial, thus olive oil is considered an elixir of health and longevity and ranks amongst the 10 most beneficial foodstuff.
Indeed, besides fats, olive oil contains small quantities of other ingredients beneficial to the human body, such as vitamins and provitamins (A and E), metals (such as selenium) and a whole class of assorted (poly-)phenols, called antioxidants. These antioxidants protect the cells from oxide stress, active oxygen and free radicals which are considered the principal injurious factors in a number of chronic diseases such as cancer.
Compared to other fats, olive oil is the most tolerable fat to the human stomach as it displays the highest digestibility and absorptivity through the intestinal walls. Clinical trials have demonstrated that olive oil contributes to reducing the secretion of gastric juice, thus relieving dyspepsia symptoms. In addition, it creates a feeling of fullness and facilitates the digestion of nutrients contained in food whereas, thanks to its high absorption by the intestinal mucosa, it helps soothe many intestinal syndromes and contributes to the smooth function of the colon noticeably reducing, or even eliminating, the symptoms of constipation.
Evidence suggests that monounsaturated fatty acids, and oleic acid in particular, protect from coronary heart disease as they reduce the concentration of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) –bad cholesterol– and at the same time increase the levels of highdensity lipoproteins (HDL) –good cholesterol– which safeguard us from atherosclerosis. Olive oil, with its high capacity in mono-unsaturated fats, around 60%-80%, increases the levels of “good” cholesterol and decreases the levels of “bad” cholesterol, building thus a highly balanced lipid system in the blood. This inhibits the formation of “blocks” of fat on the arterial walls which ultimately develop into clots causing coronary and myocardial infarction. In combination with its increased content in natural antioxidants and the rest of its highly beneficial features, olive oil ranks first in the list of foods which contribute to sustaining low levels of cholesterol in the blood protecting hence from cardiovascular diseases, such as the coronary heart disease and the myocardial infarction.
Thanks to vitamin E and provitamin A, as well as its polyunsaturated fats, olive oil protects the human skin from sun rays and burns. It also protects from and suspends the development of eczema, especially in children, and alleviates from insect bites.
Virgin olive oil is natural oil put to consumption without having undergone refinement, as do seed-oils and certain varieties of olive oil that do not meet the specifications for being classified as virgin olive oils. It contains no other ingredients: no water, no proteins, no gluten, no carbohydrates, no salt, no preservatives.
Thanks to its natural abundance in monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid), its natural lack in polyunsaturated fats and its high content in antioxidants, olive oil does not degrade except for when it is exposed to very high temperatures for extended periods of time. In specific, while olive oil is overheated when it reaches 200°-210°C, corn oils are overheated at 160°C and sunflowers oils at 170° C, producing toxic by-products called total polar materials (ΤΡΜ).
Production procedure
After harvesting and in order to retain the various valuable vegetative substances, olive drupes are transported directly –without interim storage- to the oil-press, where they are rinsed with water and then grounded with special machinery (hydraulic presses reaching 300-400atm) in low-temperature and cold press conditions. The pressure forces all juices and oil out of the flesh of the olive. The oil gathers on the surface of the containers which, when opened, allow the juices to run down retaining the oil, which is lighter, at the top. The oil is then filtered and thus refined.
Never. If olive drupes are left in the field or in storage, even in crates, for more than a day, they are squeezed and, due to lack of air, are oxidize and degrade. Consequently, rotten olives produce very low quality (rancid) oil. Turn to olive oil immediately
Olive oil and beauty
You will be surprised by the wonders olive oil works and how much easier it makes our everydayness when used regularly for skin care.
Since the time of Hippocrates, olive oil was renowned for its many therapeutic properties, especially in skin illnesses. In antiquity, when people did not use soap for their personal hygiene, they used to apply olive oil to their hair and body to clean, perfume and moisturize it. They also used it on certain pieces of clothing to add sheen.
Tip: Prefer virgin olive oil which has not undergone any admixtures, consists of natural ingredients and contains vitamins A and E which fight off the free radicals protecting you from sun and pollution.
Hair: apply a little olive oil on damp hair and wrap it in a warm towel. Leave the oil on for 20 minutes and it will be like you have treated it with a mask. It becomes softer and regains its past glow.
Face: If your skin feels , reinvigorate it with soft massage and some drops of olive oil. Insist more on points which feel harsher or have spots.
Demake-up: Some olive oil on a cotton pad can remove even the most intense eye make-up (i.e. smokey eyes).
Nails: You don’t need to run to your beautician every time you get hangnails! Take some time to dip your weary nails in a bowl with warm olive oil and some lemon juice. They will soften up right away and it will be easier to remove the cuticles and give them back their healthy image.
Hands: Spread some olive oil on your hands, put on a pair of thin cotton gloves before going to bed and wear them overnight. This is highly recommended for the winter months.
Body: Add some spoonfuls of olive oil in the water during your bath to soften and moisturize your skin. If you want, you can also add essential oils, such as lavender and jasmine, for extra aroma!
Soles: Many times, pumice stone does not soften up the hard soles and feet as much as we would like it to. You can rub some olive oil on the rougher spots before you go to bed to give it time to “heal” the foot.
