By Lisa Radinovsky from Greek Liquid Gold.
“Since ancient times, we have had olive oil in our blood,” according to producer Eftychis Androulakis (Pamako). He is referring to Greece’s long and continuing tradition of making and eating olive oil. Even now, he adds, “we are the country that uses the most olive oil per capita.” Giannis Christodoulopoulos (Arkas) adds, “Greek olive oil is our culture.”
Greek olive oil is “a statement of Greek heritage,” agrees an Agrovim company representative. It is an emblem of the bounty of the land. “Its distinctive taste and the superior quality that define Greek olive oil make it unique and recognizable all over the world. It’s connected to our identity.” This national product has been central to Greek cuisine, culture, history, and economy for millennia.
A representative of the Kanakis olive oil company emphasizes many Greeks’ ongoing dedication to their trees. “Olive trees are your children; you must make them grow really well. Olive oil is a liquid gold. You have to make it right.” From generation to generation, families care for their groves, passing them down to offspring as a valuable inheritance, working to produce high quality extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), mainly from olives grown on small family farms.
“Greek olive oil could be an ambassador for Greek culture, the Greek bond with nature, with agriculture,” according to Giovanni Bianchi. He realizes that Greek olive oil can only serve as such an ambassador when it retains its own identity. Bianchi is the Italian producer of Argali Greek organic olive oil, which he makes and bottles in Greece.
Greek olive oil identity threatened by bulk exports and blending
A great deal of high quality extra virgin olive oil is exported from Greece in bulk, blended with oils from other countries, and sold under a “bottled in Italy” label. George Triantafyllidis (Belia) wishes to correct “the misconception that good olive oil is [always] Italian olive oil. The misconception that ‘Italian’ olive oil is [always] Italian olive oil.”
Of course, 100% Italian olive oil does exist, but Italy consumes and exports far more olive oil than it produces. So it makes up the difference by importing olive oil from several countries and bottling blends of oils. Greece is one of its major sources. With its small population (10 million) and substantial production (sometimes more than Italy’s), Greece has plenty of surplus olive oil to export.
Unfortunately, when producers sell their oil in bulk rather than bottled and branded, they get lower prices for it. This makes it harder to cover their expenses and more likely that they will abandon their groves. Maria Moraiti (Zariphico) joins many Greeks in lamenting that “other countries are benefiting from our product, which we should keep safe under a Greek brand. That’s the main reason I wanted to bottle my olive oil. Why are we giving our best products away—our treasures?”
Triantafyllidis says, “Greece is #1 when it comes to extra virgin olive oil.” Greeks believe that the percentage of the total olive oil produced that is extra virgin is higher in Greece than in any other country, and some experts believe that may be true. “That’s why Italy buys extra virgin olive oil from Greece and blends it with their own olive oil and others’ olive oil,” according to Triantafyllidis and many others.
Natural Greek extra virgin olive oil for cooking and health
John Koutroumanis (Nostalgaia) would like to be sure everyone understands the difference between virgin olive oil (including extra virgin) and other edible oils. By definition, as he explains, virgin olive oil is “produced by mechanical means. Other edible oils have different processes of production, with chemicals or with heat.” On the other hand, “extra virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil are products from nature.”
Extra virgin olive oil is the most flavorful, aromatic kind of olive oil—and the safest, most stable cooking oil. It is perfect for cooking, baking, frying, marinating, and finishing and dressing foods. It is also the healthiest type of olive oil, given its wealth of natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds.
While EVOO contains many beneficial elements, such as monounsaturated fat, squalene, and Vitamin E, Eftychis Androulakis and increasing numbers of scientists and olive oil professionals emphasize the health benefits that come from the high concentration of naturally occurring phenolic compounds (or polyphenols) in some extra virgin olive oils.
Androulakis believes there is evidence that on average “Greek olive oil is the most high phenolic in the world, because of the [olive] varieties. With a healthy lifestyle—try and see the effects extra virgin olive oil can give.” Androulakis adds that research on high phenolic olive oil started in Greece, with most of the clinical trials on high phenolic EVOO’s benefits for patients still conducted in this small country. And more evidence of these benefits is published every year.
Extra virgin olive oil for flavour and aroma
While numerous consumers prefer to purchase the healthiest oil they can find, others are at least equally interested in extra virgin olive oil’s flavors and aromas. “Just smell it,” urges Katerina Bougatsou (Stalia); a good extra virgin has a wonderful aroma. And taste it, of course. Then repeat: smell and taste as many different EVOOs as you can.
As Dimitris Psathas (Klea) reminds us, “olive oil is not a fatty substance like butter or sunflower oil; different varieties give different flavors.” He mentions both the most common Koroneiki olive variety and a few of the dozens of others native to different parts of Greece: “Halkidikis, Makris, Kolovi, Tsounati, Manaki.” Irene Eleni (Elaiorama) adds, “in every taste, every sip you taste Greece. In every region the taste is different.” Moreover, in every region olive oil is central to the famously healthy, flavorful Greek Mediterranean diet.
Androulakis agrees that it is rewarding to “try all the varieties around, for different dishes, different gastronomic experiences.” A more intense, spicy olive oil better suits one dish, while a fruitier one better complements another. Creative young Greek chefs delight in experimenting with a variety of olive oil-food pairing flavor combinations.
A bright future for Greek olive oil
In recent years, Greek olive oil has been attracting the attention of enthusiastic chefs, sommeliers, producers, and scientists from various backgrounds. For Androulakis, “the future of Greek olive oil seems to be really bright, with new minds, new professors, new studies, new mills, new machinery, new technologies. So that means it’s developing. Wine is an already known art, but olive oil is unexplored, and this gives me energy to explore more.”
He has good company for his exploration. And fellow travelers are most welcome on this quintessentially Greek journey.
*Originally published on Greek Liquid Gold: Authentic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (greekliquidgold.com). See that site for recipes with olive oil, photos from Greece, agrotourism and food tourism suggestions, and olive oil news and information.
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