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| By Judy Ridgway Photography: Constanine Pittas, Vassilis Stenos |
Yet, the quality and the range of taste and flavor of Greek olive oil is something of a well-kept secret. This is because so much Greek olive oil either is sold at home or exported into well-known brands and own-label oils packed in other countries.
However with the growing popularity of PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) oils, there are now 14 such regions in Greece. More individual oils are beginning to emerge and bottled and sold in their own right.
Over the last decade, for example, the number of individual brands has increased tremendously. These oils are well worth seeking out for they offer both culinary versatility and value for money.
In Greece, olives and olive oil have been an integral part of the way of life since Homer’s time. Indeed so important was olive oil to the economy of 6th century BC Greece that anyone caught cutting down an olive tree was executed!
The ancient Greeks revered the olive tree not only for its practical attributes but also for its divinity.
In later millennia that reverence was absorbed into the liturgy of the Greek Orthodox Church.
During the Byzantine Empire monasteries were instrumental in ensuring the continuity of olive oil production. Each one had its own olive grove and produced its own olive oil for use in both holy services and in the kitchens. A wonderful example of just such a grove has been restored at the Kaisariani monastery on Mount Hymettus just a few minutes from the center of Athens. A few years ago I attended a fascinating tasting of monastery-produced olive oils which would not normally be available to anyone other than the monks. The oils were as varied in taste and in quality as at any commercial tasting.
Today the production of olive oil in Greece is based on numerous small farms scattered across the regions. Some farmers sell their produce to privately owned mills. Others belong to local cooperatives, which in turn are members of secondary cooperatives developed in the second half of twentieth century to handle and sell oil in bulk. These organizations have done much to raise standards both in the groves and in the mills so that the proportion of extra virgin olive produced in Greece has risen to almost 80%, which is a much higher percentage than in other Mediterranean olive oil- producing countries.
Olive trees are everywhere in Greece. Certain regions, however, stand out for the quality of their oils. The mountainous regions of the Peloponnese are among best known for their olive oil. The PDO region of Kalamata in the west produces an excellent oil not from the Kalamata olive, most of which goes for table olives, but from the Koroneiki olive. The groves here spill down from the mountains to the sea in a funnel shaped valley which spreads along the coast.
These oils are usually quite robust, with plenty of grassy tones, bitter almond skins, and spicy pepper.
The Koroneiki olive is the base for a good many Greek oils and accounts for the deeply herbaceous tones found in so many of them. Sometimes it is pressed on its own and sometimes mixed with other local varieties. In nearby Messinia, for example, the farms grow small quantities of Manaki and Athinolia olives which often go into the mix with Koroneiki. The result is a lighter oil with more citrus and nutty tones.
Further south, down the Mani peninsula, the Koroneiki olives offer softer, gentler oils but still with those characteristic herbaceous tones. This is a remote area which sticks to traditional methods and many of the oils are certified organic. Over the Taigetos mountains, Lakonia offers more first-class oils with three PDO regions and a more general PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) for the whole region. I received my first introduction to Athinolia olive oil here. It was poured straight from the press onto a hunk of lightly toasted bread, liberally sprinkled with salt and served with very ripe tomatoes and fresh goat’s milk cheese — delicious.
The Greeks themselves praise the sweeter oils of Lygourio and Kranidi, also PDO areas, in the eastern Peloponnese, where the Manaki olive is dominant. These oils offer subtle aromas of apples and citrus fruits, with only a touch of bitterness and pepper.
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| Extra virgin olive produced in Greece has risen to almost 80%, which is a much higher percentage than in other Mediterranean olive-oil-producing countries. |
Everyone who visits the Greek islands knows that they each produce their own olive oil and many of them have their own PDOs, but until recently very few of these oils found their way off their home island. This is slowly changing as island producers look further afield for markets. The organic oils of Zakynthos, for example, with their fragrant mix of apples, salad leaves, and herbs can now be found in the UK.
Of all the islands, Crete is most prominent for olive oil. In fact Crete led the islands into the international market. Crete boasts seven PDO regions as well as a PGI. The two best known regions are situated at either end of the island, atKolimvari in the west and Sitia in the east. Most production is in cooperatives but there is also a number of smaller producers who press excellent oils. Koroneiki dominates here, as it does on the mainland, but there are some local varieties such as Tsounati in Chania, Throumbalia in Rethymnon, and Hondrolia in Heraklion. The taste and flavors of the oils are quite varied. The Greeks “eat” olive oil as the British eat butter, consuming around 20 litres per head per annum. This is more than the Spanish or the Italians and much more than those in the non-producing countries, but when I visit Greece I understand why this is the case. The herbaceous style of the oil really compliments the everyday diet with its emphasis on fresh vegetables, grains, cheese and fish. It is difficult to resist a simple dish of baby beetroot, steamed with its own greens, chilled, and served with a splash of lemon juice and a good slug of Cretan oil!
But good as Greek oil is within the culinary traditions of its homeland it is also an excellent choice for a wider range of cooking. Many leading chefs choose Greek oil for their kitchens because it is so versatile. I have enjoyed Greek extra virgin olive oil served as a dip with dukka in Sydney, drizzled over a warm salad of chicken livers and pancetta in Brussels, and served with char-grilled tuna steaks on a bed of rocket in California.
OLIVE OIL IN THE GREEK KITCHEN
Greeks use olive oil with abandon. It is used in frying, sautéing grilling, roasting, and baking. Olive oil goes into marinades for grilled fish, meats and vegetables and is used as a base for various sauces, both raw and cooked. One of the simplest such sauces is a smooth, whisked elixir made from olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and herbs that gets drizzled over grilled whole fish. Raw, as a condiment, olive oil is bread’s most natural partner, a duet that makes for one of the best snacks and breakfasts in the world. Olive oil also is used to preserve all sorts of foods, from cheeses to cured meats and fish, to grilled vegetables, and, of course, olives.
There is a whole range of Greek dishes called lathera or olive-oil based, which are generally one-pot vegetable and bean stews in which olive oil is one of the main
flavoring agents. In the traditional pastry kitchen, olive oil replaces butter during the periods of fasting; there are even shortbread cookies made with olive oil instead of butter.
Phyllo and olive oil go hand in hand, in both savory and sweet pies. Olive oil cakes and creams, often countered with a generous dose of lemon or orange to offset the unctuous texture imparted by the oil, are among the most healthful sweets in the Mediterranean. Modern pastry chefs have been experimenting with olive oil as well as with olives to create a whole new lexicon of Greek desserts.
140.000.000 Number of olive trees in Greece
400.000 Number of tons of olive oil Greece produces annually
190,000 Number of tons of olive oil exported
95 Percentage of Greek olive exports to the European Union
75 Percentage of Greek olive oil production that is extra virgin
19 Number of liters of olive oil consumed per capita, per annum, in Greece
<1 Number of liters of olive oil consumed per capita, per annum, in the United States
sourse http://www.kerasma.gr
Greeks use olive oil with abandon. It is used in frying, sautéing grilling, roasting, and baking. Olive oil goes into marinades for grilled fish, meats and vegetables and is used as a base for various sauces, both raw and cooked. One of the simplest such sauces is a smooth, whisked elixir made from olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and herbs that gets drizzled over grilled whole fish. Raw, as a condiment, olive oil is bread’s most natural partner, a duet that makes for one of the best snacks and breakfasts in the world. Olive oil also is used to preserve all sorts of foods, from cheeses to cured meats and fish, to grilled vegetables, and, of course, olives.
There is a whole range of Greek dishes called lathera or olive-oil based, which are generally one-pot vegetable and bean stews in which olive oil is one of the main
flavoring agents. In the traditional pastry kitchen, olive oil replaces butter during the periods of fasting; there are even shortbread cookies made with olive oil instead of butter.
Phyllo and olive oil go hand in hand, in both savory and sweet pies. Olive oil cakes and creams, often countered with a generous dose of lemon or orange to offset the unctuous texture imparted by the oil, are among the most healthful sweets in the Mediterranean. Modern pastry chefs have been experimenting with olive oil as well as with olives to create a whole new lexicon of Greek desserts.
VITAL STATISTICS
50 Number of municipalities, out of a national total of 54, where olives are cultivated140.000.000 Number of olive trees in Greece
400.000 Number of tons of olive oil Greece produces annually
190,000 Number of tons of olive oil exported
95 Percentage of Greek olive exports to the European Union
75 Percentage of Greek olive oil production that is extra virgin
19 Number of liters of olive oil consumed per capita, per annum, in Greece
<1 Number of liters of olive oil consumed per capita, per annum, in the United States
sourse http://www.kerasma.gr