EVOO IN SHARES BY A GREEK OLIVE OIL PRODUCER - Volume 2

“PALLADA” – Another epithet for the goddess Athena, protector of Athens

The legend says that everything started when Goddess Athena (which one of the many epithets for her was “PALLADA”) and God Poseidon, where battling for the city of Athens protection.

They agreed that the city would belong, to the one that would deliver a gift to the city that would be most important and useful for its citizens.

This competition began when God Poseidon hit on the one side of the hill of Acropolis his trident and a horse appeared. Right after Goddess Athena made an Olive tree appear.

Goddess Athena’s gift to the citizens of the city of Athens, was more useful for the city, because the wood of the tree could be useful for fire, the fruit of olive could be useful for food and the juice of the olive could be Oil to cook anything else.

Goddess Athena’s offer to the ancient Athenians, improved the human’s nutritional habit forever!

EVOO IN SHARES BY A GREEK OLIVE OIL PRODUCER

A great “bang” was heard a couple of months ago, when the EU commission decided to necessitate sealed packaged Olive Oil containers, on restaurant tables. 

Even if the EU decision has been dropped and reconsidered by its members, Spain already proceeded to enact such a country law.

This issue – of the sealed packaged Olive Oil containers on restaurant tables, for one use only – caused a headache to Olive Oil producers, traders etc.

Even if this EU directive is revoked, a Greek Olive Oil producer, Mr. Nikolaos Papadomanolakis, found a solution and hereby presents us the first Greek EVOO, served in shares of 18ml each!

So… we hereby present you PALLADA Extra Virgin Olive Oil

More details about this product and the producer, are coming later in the week!

Stay tuned.

ONE OF THE ELDEST OLIVE TREE IN THE WORLD, BUT THE BIGGEST FOR SURE!

It is located in the village of Vuves, of Kolimpari municipality in Chania, Crete.

With a circumference of 12.5 meters,  3.64 meters in diameter and a surface area of ​​11.45 m2, it’s consider the biggest Olive tree in the world.

It is aged 2500 - 5000 years old. The importance of this Olive tree was highlighted in 1922 by the municipality member Mr. Polychronis Polichronidis and this Olive tree was declared a natural monument No. ap.105497/6459/1986 (656/TV/1986).

The olive tree is in the backyard of the house of Karapatakis family and is a monument visited by hundreds of tourists every year.

The age of the Olive tree can not be 100% determined, because the radioactive method can’t be applied, due to absence of inside wood material (kardioxilo). The absence of the inside wood material, consider as a result of the old age of the tree.

The age of this Olive tree, can be approximately determined by the perimeter of the trunk. There is no other recorded tree with such girth so can the olive is to be declared as the eldest (?)  of our planet and the biggest for sure.

In the region have been discovered two cemeteries dated back to 700 B.C. suggestive of ancient cities, which were related to this Olive tree. There are also other ancient olive trees that reveal the existence of an ancient Olive grove.

This Olive tree is up today luxuriant and fruitful.

This specific Olive tree, was associated with the Olympic Games of Athens in 2004.

The winner of the Marathon was crowned with a wreath (Kotinos) made of this Olive tree.

The Kolimpari municipality suggested the embassy of China the winner of the Marathon of the 2008 Olympic Games to be crowned by a wreath from this Olive tree. 

Which is the eldest Olive tree in the world?

Have you ever though which is the eldest olive tree alive in earth?

According to Wikipedia, the oldest olive tree alive on earth is “The Sisters”.
It’s age is about 6.000 – 6.800 years old, and is ranged as second older tree behind “Pando” which is 80.000 – 1.000.000 y.o.

“The Sisters”  are also called “The Sisters Olive Trees of Noah” alleged to be the world's oldest living olive tree.

“The Sisters” are located in Bechealeh, Batroun district, Lebanon and it’s variety / species is Olea europaea, Baladi/Ayrouni: Genotype

“The Sisters” olive trees remain one of the great unresolved and virtually unexplored pre-Biblical mysteries; common folklore and a few Biblical Scholars believe that these are the trees from which the dove took the branch back to Noah when the deluge subsided.

This is a plausible theory if you consider that during that great flood when the whole of the Middle East was underwater, “The Sisters” perched at 1300 meters in altitude made them the de facto highest ever planted olive trees from antiquity till our modern day era.

Read more about “The Sisters” following the links below:
http://www.greenprophet.com/2013/01/noah-olive-trees-lebanon/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_trees
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sisters_Olive_Trees_of_Noah
and of course: http://www.sistersoliveoil.com/


More about the eldest Olive trees worldwide, in next articles.

Stay tuned!

Greek varieties

Here we provide you information and some details about Greek Olive varieties, as follows:





VARIETY: ADRAMITIANI

ORIGIN: GREECE (LESVOS island)

CORE: Middle

USE: Oil

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: ATHINOLIA

ORIGIN: GREECE (Attica & Lakonia)

CORE: Small

USE: Oil

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: AMFISSAS

ORIGIN: GREECE (Fokida)

CORE: Large

USE: Table

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: ARACHOVAS

ORIGIN: GREECE (Viotia)

CORE: Small

USE: -   

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: ASPROLIA

ORIGIN: GREECE (Corfu, Lakonia, Lefkada)

CORE: Small

USE: -

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: DAFNOLIA

ORIGIN: GREECE (Samos island, Kyklades islands)

CORE: Middle

USE: -

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: DAFNOMILIA

ORIGIN: GREECE (Dodekanisa islands)

CORE: Middle

USE: -

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: THROUBOLIA

ORIGIN: GREECE (Dodekanisa islands, Evia, Iraklio & Rethymno Crete, Kavala, Kiklades islands, Lesvos Island)

CORE: Middle

USE: - 

COMMENTS: - 

VARIETY: THIAKO

ORIGIN: GREECE (Ithaka island, Kefalonia island)

CORE: Small

USE: -

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: CORFU LIANOLIA

ORIGIN: GREECE (Corfu)

CORE: Small

USE: -

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: KORONEIKI

ORIGIN: GREECE (Attiki, Etoloakarnania, Arkadia, Achaia, Zakinthos island, Ilia, Kefalonia island, Korinthos, Lakonia, Messinia, Rethymno Crete, Fokida)

CORE: Small

USE: Oil

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: KOTHREIKI

ORIGIN: GREECE (Attiki, Viotia, Fokida)

CORE: Middle

USE: Oil

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: KOLOVI

ORIGIN: GREECE (Lesvos Island)

CORE: Middle

USE: Oil - Table

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: KOUTSOURELIA

ORIGIN: GREECE (Etoloakarnania)

CORE: Small

USE: Oil - Table

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: MEGARA’s LADOLIA

ORIGIN: GREECE (Attiki)

CORE: Middle

USE: Oil

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: MARONIA’s LADOLIA

ORIGIN: GREECE (Rodopi)

CORE: Middle

USE: Oil

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: LADOLIA

ORIGIN: GREECE (Argolida, Attiki, Thesprotia)

CORE: Middle

USE: Oil

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: LIANILIA / KRANEOMORFI

ORIGIN: GREECE (Preveza)

CORE: Small

USE: Oil

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: LIANOLIA

ORIGIN: GREECE (Dodekanisa Islands, Zakinthos Island, Crete, Kefalonia Island)

CORE: Small

USE: Oil

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: TRIGLIA’s MAKROLIA

ORIGIN: GREECE (Evros)

CORE: Large

USE: Oil

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: MANAKOLIA

ORIGIN: GREECE (Arkadia)

CORE: Small

USE: Oil

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: MANAKILIA

ORIGIN: GREECE (Korinthos)

CORE: Middle

USE: Oil

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: MATSOLIA

ORIGIN: GREECE (Arkadia, Ilia, Messinia)

CORE: Small

USE: Oil

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: MAVROLIA

ORIGIN: GREECE (Corfu Island, Lefkada Island, Messinia)

CORE: Small

USE: Oil, table

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: MANAKI / MANOLIA

ORIGIN: GREECE (Argolida)

CORE: Middle

USE: Oil - Table

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: MOURTOLIA

ORIGIN: GREECE (Lakonia)

CORE: Middle

USE: Oil

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: MEGARITIKI

ORIGIN: GREECE (Attiki, Viotia, Arkadia, Korinthos)

CORE: Middle

USE: Oil - Table

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: PATRINOLIA

ORIGIN: GREECE (Achaia)

CORE: Middle

USE: Oil

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: SAMOTHRAKIS

ORIGIN: GREECE (Evros)

CORE: Large

USE: Table

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: SALONITIKI

ORIGIN: GREECE (Viotia)

CORE: Middle

USE: -

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: STRAVOMITA

ORIGIN: GREECE (Fokida)

CORE: Large

USE: -

COMMENTS: - 

VARIETY: TSOUNATI

ORIGIN: GREECE (Chania & Rethymno Crete)

CORE: Small

USE: Oil

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: CHONDROLIA (L)

ORIGIN: GREECE (Etoloakarnania, Arta, Evia, Magnisia, Samos Island, Fthiotida, Chalkidiki, Iraklio & Rethymno – Crete)

CORE: Large

USE: Table

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: CHONDROLIA (M)

ORIGIN: GREECE (Etoloakarnania, Arta, Evia, Thesprotia, Magnisia, Samos Island, Fthiotida, Chalkidiki, Rethymno-Crete)

CORE: Middle

USE: Oil

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: CHOURMADOLIA

ORIGIN: GREECE (Chios Island)

CORE: Middle

USE: Oil - Table

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: AMIGDALOLIA

ORIGIN: GREECE (Attiki, Fokida)

CORE: -

USE: -

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: KALAMON

ORIGIN: GREECE (Messinia, Lakonia, Lamia)

CORE: Middle

USE: Oil - Table

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: KONSERVOLIA

ORIGIN: GREECE (Amfissa, Volos, Evia)

CORE: Middle

USE: Oil - Table

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: MASTOIDIS

ORIGIN: GREECE (Corfu Island, Crete, Peloponnese)

CORE: Middle

USE: Oil - Table

COMMENTS: -

VARIETY: VALANOLIA

ORIGIN: GREECE (Lesvos Island, Skyros Island, Chios Island)

CORE: Small

USE: Oil

COMMENTS: -

Olive tree, how old are you?

For thousands of years now, the inhabitants of the Mediterranean countries have cultivated the olive tree and
used its products for their daily needs. The edible olives and oil were used in their food, the leaves and the oil had therapeutic powers or were used as incense and the oil was also used as an offering to the gods.

What is an olive? The olive is a drupe, a fruit with a fleshy skin enclosing a stone and either circular or oval in shape. Olive oil is the natural juice of the olive, a pure product which is obtained with machinery or by natural means. The oil of the olive is found in the pericarp, the fleshy part of the fruit.

When did the olive tree first appear? The tree, indigenous to the Mediterranean Sea, seems to have been around for thousands of years. A fossilized leaf of the olea noti family has been found at Kyme on Euboea, while evidence that proves the scattered spreading out of the tree has been found in Provence in France and in the countries of Northern Africa.



Now hear this: this old piece of evidence originates from Santorini and Nisyros, where Professor Evangelos Velitzelos discovered fossilized olive tree leaves aged fifty to sixty thousand years old!

Of course, most of the evidence that has been found until today does not go as back as this. Nonetheless, there's been evidence from Crete in the 3rd millennium BC about the use of edible olives and olive oil. There have been found stones of edible olives next to human remains dating from before 1500 BC. There have been found olives and olive oil in ideograms, like the ones you can see in the pictures.

There has been found evidence (through chemical analysis) that the Minoans used olive oil in cooking. See, olives and olive oil have been a huge part of every Mediterranean civilization's everyday life. Even the Olympic Games can prove as much: the custom of awarding the winner with a branch from the holy olive tree that was planted in Olympia by Heracles (not the famous son of Zeus) is a good enough indicator.

GREECE CETS "AGOURELAIO CHALKIDIKIS" PDO

Article by  Marissa Tejada
Olive Oil Times Contributor | Reporting from Athens, Greece

Original article in Olive Oil Times: press here

The European Commission gave the green light to add Agourelio Chalkidikis (Αγουρέλαιο Χαλκιδικής) to the list of Protected Designations of Origin (PDO). The European Union classification of a PDO product is given to highlight the uniqueness of a product that is produced in a specific geographical region. Agourelio Chalkidikis is the 28th Greek olive oil to be granted the special certification.

The Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Chalkidiki requested the designation for their local product three years ago. Agourelio Chalkidikis is known for its low acidity and distinct, bright green color and pleasantly bitter characteristics.

“The designation gives us more opportunity and adds more value to the product,” said Zacharoula Vassilaki, who produces the extra-virgin olive oil Ladopetra in the town of Polygyros in Chalkidiki. “Now, our olive oils must be produced and bottled right here in Chalkidiki so the true value stays with the product when we export it worldwide.” Vassilaki currently exports Ladopetra to Germany, Sweden and Slovakia.

Chalkdiki is located in the Greece’s northern province of Macedonia, just east of Thessaloniki. The new PDO designation of Chalkidi’s extra virgin olive oil follows the PDO certification of the region’s green olives last year. The large, oval, pale green olives are known for their slightly tart flavor.

“Chalkidiki producers create a special kind of olive oil. The olive harvest starts in northern Greece where the climate enables us to produce the first olive oil of the year in our country,” said Vassilaki. “The characteristics of the green olive from our region make our extra virgin olive oils an extremely healthy product.”

In a public statement, the Greek Minister for Rural Development and Food, Athanasios Tsaftaris, pointed out that the PDO designation is a great benefit for Greek olive oil producers and a boost for the economy. “The competitiveness of Greek agriculture cannot be based on low production costs, but the quality and uniqueness of its certified products. Europe and the whole world are turning towards quality agriculture and it is really an opportunity for our country to exploit the comparative advantages and the excellent quality of these products.”