Greek Olive Oil

Olive oil, an integral part of the Greek diet

Olive oil and olives have always been an integral part of Greek life and nutrition. The olive oil production in Greece dates back to 4000 B.C., since an ancient olive mill of that age was discovered during excavations in Methana, Peloponnese.

Greece is the third olive oil producing country in the world, but ranks first by 80% in the percentage of extra virgin olive oil over the total Greek olive oil production, while the respective rate in Italy is 50% and in Spain 20%.

The key characteristics of an extra virgin olive oil, namely low acidity, taste, flavor and color, are influenced by many factors, which compose and define its quality.

These factors are:

Greece ranks first in the world in the extra virgin olive oil production

  • Koroneiki

    PELOPONNESE
    CRETE

  • Lianolia

    PELOPONNESE, IONIAN ISLANDS
    COASTS OF EPIRUS

  • Mastoid

    PELOPONNESE
    CRETE

  • Megaritiki

    ATTICA, BOEOTIA
    KINOURIA

  • Athinolia

    LACONIA
    PELOPONNESE

  • Manaki

    DELPHI, AMFISSA
    TRIZINIA, KINOURIA

  • Hondrolia

    AEGEAN ISLANDS, ATTICA
    EVIA, CRETE

The variety of olives
The groves geographical location
The applied fertilization methods
The climatic conditions
The degree of olive ripeness
The method of harvesting
The storage conditions of the olives
The process temperatures
The hygiene at all stages

In Greece, the vast majority of olive groves are in mountainous and hilly areas, near the sea, with lots of sunshine, where the farmers, hand pick their own olives, deliver the olives directly to the mill and attend personally the process until the last bag of their crop. In other words, the traditional methods that were always applied for the olive oil production in Greece, have been proved by scientific research to be optimum for the best quality results.