How to choose the right olive oil in Greece. Greek olive oil - how to choose the right one

How to choose the right Greek olive oil? What is the difference between second- and third-press oil and “elite” first-press oil?

Every tourist buys olive oil in Greece. At the same time, understanding little about it, in their choice most often focusing on price or beautiful packaging. But these are not the main indicators of oil quality. Our recommendations will help you understand the types and prices of Greek olive oil.

Natural olive oil from Greece

Olive oil is for Greeks what potatoes are for Belarusians, and lard is for Ukrainians. In Greece, olives began to be grown (or they themselves began to grow there) hundreds of thousands of years ago. In the era of Homer, it was called “liquid gold”; there was a period when it even served as a kind of currency among the Greeks. Each region of Hellas had its own special varieties of olive trees. But this is so, an excursion into history.

We are more interested in the prose of life. Namely, high-quality Greek oil at a reasonable price. How to choose it wisely?

Quality oil - what is it?

The main indicator of high-quality olive oil is the content of organic acids in it and, in fact, the method of its production itself. The lower the acidity, the better. It is measured in weight percentage. Normal olive oil is one where the acidity does not exceed 0.8 percent. You can find this inscription on the bottle label. The EU is strict about this.

Olive oil prepared by cold pressing is the most elite and expensive. It is made the old fashioned way: the best olives are placed under a press and the oil is “squeezed out”. Of course, no chemicals or preservatives are added. One liter of this oil takes from 10 to 30 kg of olives. So don't be surprised at how expensive it is - by definition, it can't be cheap.

Greek olive oil - the choice makes your eyes wide open!

Greek olive second and even third pressing oil is also considered high quality. It can be safely consumed both in salads and for cosmetic purposes. But it is best suited for frying - its less pronounced aroma and lower price are designed for this purpose. Thrifty Europeans value these properties and will never cook steak with elite extra virgin olive oil.

By the way, about frying. In Greece you can find combined olive oil. It contains two oils mixed - refined and cold pressed. It is the cheapest in local supermarkets, but price is not the main indicator. Greeks buy it by the liter for frying and dressing salads. It tastes very pleasant.

Features of buying oil in the markets

If there are no questions about buying oil in large stores - the label speaks for itself, then with private traders you may have doubts. So, if you find yourself at the market and want to buy farm-produced Greek olive oil, ask the seller: what kind of extraction is it? Nobody will lie to you. But you can also tell the quality by looking at it.

Extra virgin olive oil should be pleasantly greenish and thick, like fresh honey.

Correct container for olive oil

Olive oil is best stored in glass containers. But it’s cheaper to buy a large tin of butter to take home. Only in this case, be sure to pour it into glass bottles at home. This way, your natural Greek oil will not lose its beneficial properties longer. Remember that the longer you store the oil, the better it is for you, but the worse for the oil.

How to store olive oil - in glass containers!

Greek olive oil

The Spaniards and Italians are unlikely to agree with us, but it is Greek olive oil that is considered the best in the world. Over many centuries, the inhabitants of Hellas became skilled in this matter. Today, almost every self-respecting family produces it. At least for your own use. Just as we make twists with cucumbers and tomatoes, the Greeks “press” barrels of olive oil for the winter. In addition, the local product does not taste bitter, even when fried. The Greeks themselves believe that they simply do not have bad oil.

Due to the “floating” exchange rate, prices for Greek olive oil are encouraging. Judge for yourself: a ton of virgin oil costs less than 2.5 thousand euros per ton. And about seven years ago, the price of this ton of olive oil was twice as expensive as oil.

Buy only the best olive oil in Greece!

The fault is, of course, the crisis. This time in the Mediterranean countries. The Greeks, Italians and Spaniards themselves have begun to consume less expensive olive oil, and tourists are no longer so reckless in their spending.

Many people equate the two concepts of Greece and olive oil. Where else can the olive tree grow, if not in Greece? Many thousands of years ago, this tree was brought by the Phoenicians to ancient Hellas, after which the olive tree literally took deep roots, becoming a classic of the Greek landscape. There is also a mythical concept about the origin of olive trees; they say that the olive was brought as a gift by the goddess Aphrodite to the inhabitants of Attica. At the same time, nothing is said about the Phoenicians in the myth, but this only confirms the fact of how great the value of this tree was even then. While oil began to be extracted from olive fruits, light hand the great Homer, it was called “liquid gold”, and for some time it actually served as currency. Each Greek region produces its own variety of olive oil, as the trees are of different varieties. Approximately seven percent of olives from each harvest are sent to consumers in the form of fruits, the rest is turned into oil. There are a couple of objective indicators by which it is possible to determine good olive oil, this is the level of organic acids in it, as well as the production method. Acidity can indicate the chemical degradation of olive oil. It is measured in weight percent, and in Greek it is written: οξύτητα. The lower the acidity, the better. If you use oils to season dishes, make sure that the acidity does not exceed 0.8 percent.

Less than ten percent of the olives collected end up in Greek markets. There are more nuances in production. So, in 1959, under the auspices of the UN, an organization appeared - the International Olive Council (IOC), this organization was entrusted with resolving all issues related to olives and olive oil. Certain standards were also developed, and today you can use them to determine the type of product just by looking at the label. Of course, the best in every sense is olive oil, which was obtained using the “old-fashioned” method, namely, without the addition of heat treatments and any chemical procedures. This is the first cold pressing, in other words, in its process, selected olives are destined to be pressed, which releases the oil in pure form. The following words will appear on the label: Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (in Greek: Εξαιρετικό Παρθένο Ελαιόλαδο). In order to obtain a liter of such oil, it takes approximately ten to thirty kilograms of olives, which is why it is considered the most expensive.

There is also a first and second spin, in addition to the first. Such olive oil is of course inferior in quality to the first pressing and is still considered good because it is obtained in a natural way. On such oil you will see a label with the following content: Virgin Olive Oil (Παρθένο Ελαιόλαδο).

The next type of oil is a mixture of cold-pressed oil and refined oil. It already has acidity, albeit small, and is also ideal for frying foods; the taste is more softened compared to cold-pressed oil in its pure form. And the price of this type of oil is already more attractive. The label says - Pure Olive Oil or oil λαδα. There are oils of lower quality, but it’s better not to mention such ones in order to make right choice you can know the above varieties.

Even by sight you can easily determine quality oil, its color is greenish and its consistency is thick. If possible, try to purchase olive oil only in glass bottles, even if its price is more expensive, but it retains its properties in glass. beneficial features better. And yet, even in glass, you shouldn’t store oil for a long period of time, so there’s no need to save it; generously moisten the pan and season salads. The choice of olive oil in its country of origin is amazing. It’s not sold in glass bottles, but if your family is large, you can take a five-liter tin canister with olive oil inside, and pour it into glass bottles at home. This will be more economically profitable, and you will have to remember Greece with warm words more than once. When purchasing an exquisite and attractive bottle of oil in a souvenir shop, it is worth considering the fact that it only looks attractive, but it could have been stored longer than necessary, even in the sun, and this oil is not suitable for any purpose. It's nice for a souvenir, but it's better not to put it in food.

A huge advantage of Greek oil, in comparison with Spanish oil, is the absence of bitterness, and when frying, too, but there is a special rich and harmonious taste. As for the choice of any specific brands, in Hellas there is only one rule, but it is quite simple; knowing it will simply make your life easier: there is NO bad olive oil in Greece. Whatever you purchase, you will be satisfied in any case.

A little I am often asked what is the acidity of olive oil and how to choose the right one good oil based on this indicator.

Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this question, but if you are willing to take the time to read this article and finally figure out what it is, then at the same time you will learn how to choose the right oil.

So, the acidity of olive oil is an indicator of the content of oleic acid (in grams) per 100g. product. It was invented relatively recently and 30 years ago no one was particularly interested in it, and olive oil was evaluated by taste, aroma and consistency. Why is it needed? By and large, this is a formalization of quality, a standard that can be easily determined with a 5-minute test.

To label the highest quality oils, they came up with the Extra virgin category, which means that the oil was not only extracted using exclusively mechanical means (virgin), but was also grown, collected and processed so that its acidity was no higher than 0.8 (extra). Of course, falling into this category also requires the product to have “excellent taste and smell,” but these indicators are purely individual.

Greece is a champion in the production of Extra virgin oil. Almost any farm product falls into this category with a decent margin, but the famous Tuscan product falls into this category with difficulty. In fact, it was Italy that insisted that the figure be so high. Moreover, I will not reveal a secret if I say that the share of truly Italian oil in the volume of Italian exports is only 4%, in the remaining 96% its share is minimal, no more than is necessary for the “Made in Italy” labeling.

A specific acidity indicator is not often indicated on the packaging, but only when it can be boasted about, and usually it is 0.3 or 0.2. Let me make a reservation right away that manufacturers round the number down, that is, 0.39 will be written as 0.3. But you shouldn’t be upset about this, because few people can taste the acidity of olive oil.

And now the main thing. The acidity of the oil depends on a lot of factors, but the specific thing is that it is very difficult to achieve a low level without using insecticides, so “pure” oil with low acidity is VERY scarce and it is EXPENSIVE. If you buy oil in Greece, then the European label “ΒΙΟ” can help you buy healthier oil, but if this happens, for example, in Russia, where there is no clear legislation on this matter, you can easily be deceived.

So, what kind of oil should you put in your salad? The answer is delicious!!! Ideally, it is better to try it. But, if you can’t try, but need to be guided by the packaging, then I would advise you to first look at the place of origin of the oil, and only then at its acidity. When I am asked to help choose oil in a store, I follow the following algorithm: I check the region, see if the olive variety and harvest year are indicated, sometimes you can check the thickness of the oil (in the glass). If possible, I choose, all other things being equal, lower acidity. The best olive oil in Greece is made in the Peloponnese, Crete and Samos.

As for frying, low acidity is less preferable here, since such oil has a lower burning temperature. But by and large, this only matters for deep-frying, so don’t be afraid to cook with “salad” oil. Just remember that it usually has a pronounced color, aroma and taste and will greatly influence the taste of your dish. For Greek cuisine this influence is necessary and can be decisive for success, but if you are preparing something neutral, then it may be worth taking a different refined/deodorized oil. But really great Chefs know that they make spicy Samos in Greek ideal oil for haute cuisine - it won’t impress you in a salad, but it will magically enhance the food’s own taste during heat treatment.

One of the most ancient trees given to humanity by God is the olive tree, and the oil extracted from its fruits has been of enduring importance in human life for many millennia.

According to the Old Testament, the Lord, angry with people mired in sins and causing the Great Flood, sent Noah a dove with an olive branch in its beak as a sign of reconciliation. And one of the first trees planted by Noah on Mount Ararat was an olive tree, and an olive branch and a dove holding it have since been considered symbols of peace.

The history of olive cultivation and olive oil production is inextricably linked with the history of life of most peoples of the Mediterranean. One of the hills on which ancient Jerusalem stands is called the Mount of Olives, hinting that olive groves have existed here since the very foundation of the city. This unpretentious tree can grow and bear fruit both in drought and in strong winds, and the main conditions for its successful growth are sun, stones, silence, solitude and the proximity of a warm sea.

Let's remember history and mythology

During the excavations of the Zakros palace, which belongs to the Minoan civilization, archaeologists found petrified olive fruits, sacrificed to the chthonic gods so that they would protect the inhabitants from earthquakes.

The find dates back to 2000 BC. e. This suggests that in Crete at that time they not only grew olive trees, but also knew the secrets of producing and storing olive oil.

This is evidenced by other archaeological finds. During excavations of the Phaistos palace, huge two-meter jugs, the so-called pithos, were found in which the ancient Cretans stored olive oil, and one of the most famous Knossos frescoes depicts a solemn procession carrying gifts in the form of amphorae with oil.

The fruits of the olive tree, the oil made from them, and even its foliage and branches were used by the ancient Greeks in their daily lives. The fruits of the olive served as food for their families, a cure for many diseases, its branches were used for heating, and a healing infusion was made from the leaves.

Olive oil was used to illuminate homes and temples and was used as cosmetic product and as an indispensable attribute when performing religious rituals. In Ancient Greece, where fresh water was scarce, rubbing with olive oil was a means of daily hygiene for all inhabitants. They greeted the newborn with oil, rubbing his body, and escorted the person on his last journey, anointing the body of the deceased with it.

A rare Greek pie is prepared without olive oil; the well-known spanakopita is no exception! All about the most beloved spinach pie in Greece.

There were many legends about the appearance of the sacred tree on Greek soil. One of them says that Hercules obtained the seed of the olive tree and brought it to the Greeks from the shores of the Black Sea, the other that he brought the olive from northern Hyperborea. Medea, preparing a decoction that would restore youth to Jason, used olive juice, and when stirring it with a dry olive twig, she was surprised to discover that after some time they grew on it. fresh leaves and fruits.

But the most beautiful myth is that olive Tree gave it to the people of Attica herself. The goddess planted the first olive on the rocky Acropolis hill, and since then the tree has been considered by the Athenians as a symbol of prosperity, peace and wisdom. The first gold coins minted in Athens depicted the goddess Athena-Poliada wearing a helmet, on top of which was a wreath of olive branches, and in her hands she was holding an amphora with olive oil.

One of the “seven wise men of antiquity”, the Athenian archon Solon in VI BC. e. issued the first laws protecting olive trees as one of the main values ​​of the city, and anyone caught cutting them down was sentenced to death.

Herodotus in the 5th century BC. e. wrote that olive trees were so revered and sacred that only virgins and eunuchs were allowed to grow and care for them. Wreaths made of olive branches were worn by Athenian girls as a symbol of girlish purity.

In Ancient Olympia, the winners of the Olympic Games were awarded a wreath of olive branches growing in the sacred olive grove of Alpheus, near the Olympic Stadium. This award was considered the most valuable for competing athletes.

In 480 BC. e. When the Persians invaded Greece, the Olympic Games were not cancelled. Having learned that the reward for winning the competition was just an olive wreath, and not money and rich gifts, the noble Persian warrior reproached King Xerxes: “Who are we fighting against? They care about valor, not money!”

How liquid gold conquered the world

Greek olive oil, along with wines, became one of the main currencies of the Mediterranean. Thanks to this, it gradually conquered the entire ancient world. It was traded by merchants from different countries Mediterranean: Phoenicians, Egyptians, Cretans, Cypriots and Jews. The oil became a source of income and was called liquid gold at that time.

Due to the lack of land for the formation of new cities, the Greeks began to move to the territories of Sicily and the Apennine Peninsula, to the south of France, to the western coast of Spain, establishing their colonies there. Some moved east and reached the shores of the Black Sea. And wherever they moved, the first thing they took with them were olive seeds or even their seedlings.

Later, the ancient Romans promoted the spread of olive oil as valuable product throughout the territory of his empire. They took much from the Greek practice of growing olives and began cultivating olive trees in Italy. The Romans also grew olive groves and extracted oil from them on the fertile soils of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, as evidenced by ancient oil mills found on the territory of these states.

Oil began to be traded not only in North Africa, but also in countries Northern Europe. Pliny the Elder, in his Natural History, wrote that there are two most valuable liquids given by trees - wine and olive oil, but he personally prefers oil.

Who invented the categories

The Romans, who learned from the Greeks, were the first to come up with the idea of ​​assigning a category to oil depending on the method and time of its extraction. In 301, an edict was issued by Emperor Diocletian, who set fixed prices for olive oil depending on quality.

The oil pressed from olives harvested in September was called bitter (oleum acerbum) and was considered of poor quality. The oil obtained from olives harvested in December was called green (oleum viride) and was considered the second category. The highest category was considered to be oil from black ripe olives harvested in January - February and it was very expensive.

With the fall of Rome and the barbarian invasion of the empire, olive oil production and trade fell sharply. But the traditions of growing olive trees and making oil from their fruits have not been lost in time. They were carefully preserved in Orthodox and Catholic monasteries in the Byzantine Empire, Greece, Italy and Spain.

Some statistics

IN modern world there are approximately 800 million olive trees.

Ninety-five percent of them are grown in the Mediterranean, and in Greece, of all the fruit-bearing trees cultivated in the country, olive plantations account for about 75%, and they occupy approximately 15% of all Greek agricultural areas.

The country has 300 sunny days a year, a warm sea, and hardworking people - all this creates excellent conditions for the production of olive oil - one of the main components of the economy not only now, but also many centuries ago, since Neolithic times.

The oldest olive tree was found in Crete in the Chania region. It is 3000 years old, it still bears fruit and produces oil from it. Exactly 249 bottles of oil from this olive were presented as souvenirs to participants in the International Olive Oil Export Conference held in Chania in 2013.

In 2013, Greece produced 357 thousand tons of olive oil, of which 40% was purchased by Italy and exported as Italian to many countries around the world.

The bulk of Greek olive oil is produced in three areas: the peninsula, Crete and Lesvos.

In Greece, 19 liters of olive oil are consumed per year per person, while in Germany - 0.7 liters, in America - 3 liters, and in Japan only 0.1 liters.

About the benefits of olive oil

Even ancient doctors believed that olive oil had a beneficial effect on human health. Today's scientific research not only confirms, but also proves the need to include this wonderful product in everyone's diet.

The food of modern man is characterized by an excess of calories and a deficiency of vitamins, which leads to the occurrence of severe chronic diseases: heart failure, arthritis, diabetes, cancer. Consuming olive oil reduces the risk of their occurrence.

It is known that there are “good” and “bad” cholesterol. “Good” is perfectly excreted from the body without depositing cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels, leading to the development of atherosclerosis. And reducing the level of “bad” is necessary for the health of the cardiovascular system.

Saturated fatty acids, which increase cholesterol index, are found in all animals and vegetable fats. In olive oil there is no more than 10% of them, and unsaturated ones (such as oleic acid) - 70–80%.

In terms of acid balance, olive oil resembles breast milk. It effectively reduces the level of “bad” cholesterol, is rich in antioxidants, which are an excellent remedy for the prevention of peptic ulcers, chronic kidney and liver diseases.

The oil also contains polyphenol, which stops the growth of cancer cells. One tablespoon of olive oil contains 10% daily norm Vitamin E, an excellent natural antioxidant needed by the body.

Scientists have proven that taking just two tablespoons of olive oil a day can significantly reduce the risk of developing malignant tumors, such as breast cancer.

Not all olive oil is beneficial to health; you need to know how to choose and store it correctly.

Which oil is better and how to choose it

According to the rules introduced by the European Union, there is a gradation of olive oil into categories. Let's try to figure out what it is.

Greek "partheno"

Virgin in European, or “partheno” (virgin in Greek) is olive oil obtained during the first cold pressing exclusively mechanically, without the use of chemical additives. It has low acidity and other health benefits. Classified according to the following types:

1. Extra virgin olive oil– oil of the highest category, impeccable aroma and taste, having an acidity not exceeding 0.8%. This is the highest quality and most expensive type of oil, which is produced by many well-known Greek manufacturers. For example, one liter of Altis oil in a glass bottle costs 6.50 €. The oil has a pleasant and rich fruity aroma and taste. Used for dressing salads. An excellent remedy for stomach ulcers.
2. Fine virgin olive oil– oil of the first category, with very pleasant aroma and taste, its acidity is between 1% and 1.5%. It is suitable for adding to boiled vegetable dishes and for dressing salads. On the shelves of Greek supermarkets, this type of olive oil is represented by the products of many companies.

Here are some types of virgin olive oil from the oldest and very popular company in Greece: Minerva:

• cold-pressed oil “Khoryo”, packed in lightweight plastic bottles. One liter of this oil costs 5.72€, two liters – 10.90€, and a five-liter bottle – 19.99€;
• Clasico brand oil, the cost of which for one liter is 4.99 €, two liters – 9.55 €, and five liters – 19.90 €.

There is also a non-Virgin category of oils. These are refined oils. They are obtained from a mixture different types not virgin oils using chemicals. They are suitable for consumption, mainly for cooking, but do not have the taste and aroma characteristic of cold-pressed oil. Pomace oil is the lowest-grade oil, approaching technical quality in its quality.

Which olive oil should you choose? You have already noticed that this product is not cheap. But what’s more amazing is that one type of olive oil can differ in price from another by several times! What is the reason? Let's figure it out together.

Today, more than 95% of all olive oil production occurs in the Mediterranean. Greece, Italy, Spain are trying to defend their leadership in its production. And a resident of each of these countries is sure that local oil is the best! Russia is not the Mediterranean, we don’t grow olives, we don’t produce oil from olives. Therefore, nothing can prevent us from approaching the olive oil selection process objectively.

We have identified several criteria, once you understand them, you will accurately determine the type of oil that you need.

1. Application

For preparing salads, marinades, cold appetizers Extra virgin olive oil is best. Depending on the country of origin, it may be labeled as: Extra Virgin Olive Oil (English, Spanish), Extra Vergine (Italian), Extra Vierge (French), EVOO. Russian sound - Extra Virgin.

This is olive oil best quality, first cold pressed oil (at a temperature not exceeding 27 degrees). It is produced by a method in which the olives are lightly pressed to extract the highest quality olive oil. Moreover, spinning is carried out exclusively mechanically, no chemicals!

Extra Virgin Olive Oil contains 80% useful substances, usually has a dark green, cloudy color and a strong odor of olives. Contains no refined oils and minimal saturated fat, it is 100% natural product. No wonder the Mediterranean diet is considered the healthiest.

For frying and preparing hot dishes, feel free to choose refined second-press oil, which is usually labeled as Pomace Olive Oil (English), Orujo (Spanish).

The word "Pomace" ("pomas" in Russian transcription) means "cake". Pomas olive oil is made from the pomace left over from the production of extra virgin oil and is mixed with a small amount of virgin oil to restore color and taste qualities. The undeniable advantage of Pomace oil is its low price, as well as its neutral taste and long shelf life.

For the prevention of various diseases and skin and hair care use unrefined oil top class with markings Extra Virgin. Only it contains the maximum of useful substances!

2. Price - quality

The main indicator of the quality of olive oil is its acidity. The acidity level of olive oil refers to the oleic acid content in 100 g of product. The lower the natural acidity of unrefined olive oil, the higher its quality.

High-quality oil (Extra Virgin label) - no more than 0.8%.

Oil with an acidity of less than 0.5% is considered healing in the Mediterranean.

The price and quality of extra virgin olive oil is also affected by its grade:

Vintage olive oil marked Protected designation of origin (P.D.O) or D.O.P. - denominacion de origen protegida (mark of protected origin). Luxury olive oil, which is produced from olives grown in a specific area, the entire production process of this oil is carried out at the place where the raw materials are collected;

Single varietal olive oil made from olives of one variety. For example, the inscription on the bottle "Minerva Kalamata" indicates that the olives used to make this oil were collected only in the Kalamata region;

Blend olive oil It is produced from olives of different varieties to obtain specific taste and aroma properties.

Inscription " organic (bio, eco)" the product also contributes to the price and quality of olive oil. This label means that the olives used to produce this oil were collected from plantations registered " Bio/Organic". All stages of the production of “organic products” meet strict system requirements, which include the refusal to use chemical fertilizers and pesticides, growth regulators, and genetic engineering methods.

3. Country of origin

The world leaders in olive oil production are Spain, Italy, Greece and Tunisia. The first two sell oil in huge volumes. But in order to supply all of Europe, America and other countries, they are forced to purchase raw materials - bulk oil - from other, smaller suppliers. If their own oil is more than 25%, the law allows them to put the name of their state on the label.

It is known that the main source of such finished raw materials is Greece. The fact is that in this country the soil and climate are almost universally ideal for growing olives. The most famous regions are Kalamata, Laconia, Kranidi (Peloponnese) and about. Crete. Here, the economy of thousands of Greek families is based on the cultivation of olives.

Favorable climatic conditions and the experience of thousands of years of olive cultivation, coupled with traditional production methods, ensure the qualitative superiority of Greek olive oil over others. Only Greece produces such a large percentage of extra virgin oil - 80%! The remainder comes from refined oil (Refined or Pour) and pomace oil.

The main brands of Greek olive oil on the Russian market:

Minerva. The Minerva company is the first olive oil brand to appear in Greece and to this day it maintains its leadership (42% of the Greek olive oil market). The Minerva company produces premium olive oil obtained from olives grown on the Peloponnese Peninsula and harvested exclusively by mechanical methods. This selected oil allows you to experience the rich, bitter taste of freshly picked olives, which is suitable for preparing salads and marinades and does not contain salt and cholesterol.

Terra Creta. Terra Creta was founded in 2001 in the Hania area on the island of Crete. The company's goal is to produce and distribute extra virgin olive oil exclusively from the Kolymvari region. The Koroneiki olive variety, grown in the hilly terrain of the Kolymvari region, is renowned for its excellent organoleptic properties. In Terra Creta olive oil, experts find a whole range of aromas: from Mediterranean herbs to orange and lemon shades with a delicate piquant note and spice.

Agia Triada. This is a trademark of the company "Vinolio Creta Ltd.", under which environmentally friendly products are produced: olive oil, wine, balsamic vinegar, honey The raw materials for their production are obtained from the territories belonging to the male Orthodox monastery "Agia Triada" ("Holy Trinity"), on the island of Crete. Having tasted olive oil under the "Agia Triada" brand, you will be convinced that they are prepared "with soul", with love for the world and people.

Olivi. This oil has absorbed not only the hot sun and valuable substances from the most fertile soils of the Messenia valley with its capital in Kalamata, but also the warmth of the hands of hardworking Greek farmers. The entire oil production process, from harvesting the Koroneiki olives to bottling, is carried out by hand by peasants from the Nikolopoulos farm. It is impossible to remain indifferent to the fruity aroma of this olive oil with a slight peppery aftertaste.

GREKELITA. Natural olive oil "GREKELITA" with D.O.P. - the result of the first mechanical cold pressing of Koroneiki olives grown in the town of Mylopotamos on the island of Crete in Greece. The product is ideal for preparing both cold and hot dishes without losing its beneficial qualities and aroma.

Gaea. Gaea was founded in 1995 with the aim of promoting high-quality Greek food products that were missing from the international market. The company's products include high-quality olive oils with the P.D.O. mark, olive oils with herbs, sauces and various Greek delicacies.

Spanish Olive oil typically has a rich, oily aroma that is reminiscent of green olives or ripe olives. Typically, Spanish producers obtain olive oil by mixing 2, 3 or more varieties to achieve the desired balanced taste and aroma, but single-varietal types of oil are also available.

Spanish oil, as a rule, is more expensive than Italian, because... In Spain it is prohibited to mix olive oil with other vegetable oils. Mixtures (mixes, MIXT) - cheaper than 100% oil.

The main brands of Spanish olive oil on the Russian market:

Borges- 60% of all supplies in quantitative terms, 20% in value terms;

ITLV(Industrial Technologica Laintex Veterani) is a special brand developed for the Russian and CIS markets by the Borges group. The share of the brand in the value of Russian imports and in the market is just over 5%,

MaestrodeOliva - more than 6% of the value of Russian imports of olive oils.

From Italian brands on the Russian market, the brand is most widely represented Monini .

Also has a significant share in the Russian market Tunisian brand of olive oil Terra Delyssa .

Another of the largest olive oil producing countries is Türkiye. The most famous and popular brand of Turkish olive oil is Milasolio .

As for other producers, their contribution to the production of such an elite product as olive oil is almost equal to its domestic consumption within these countries; Only a small amount is exported - less than 1% from each country.

4. Packaging

Today olive oil is bottled in:

Glass bottles . This is traditional packaging. Pros: natural, pleasing to the eye, gives the impression of buying an expensive, high-quality item (similar to expensive wine), convenient to use without pouring into a special decanter. Cons: even dark glass allows light to pass through, can break, and is heavy.

Cans. Invented a little later, it is characterized by its technological effectiveness. The metal is processed in a special way, so there is no possibility of oil oxidation. Pros: lightweight, does not allow light to pass through, cheaper. Cons: none.

“ Baginbox” - packages with tap. Newest packaging. Original laminated aseptic bags (usually 3 liters / 5 liters) with a filling tap, which prevents the penetration of foreign odors and air into the open packaging, which prevents the breakdown of enzymes and the oxidation of fatty acids and allows you to preserve all the beneficial properties of the oil, increasing its lifespan suitability. The downside is the large volume, which, however, is compensated by the lower price.

So, let's summarize. How to choose the perfect olive oil?

Ideal olive oil:
1. Labeled Extra Virgin, first cold pressed, unrefined.
2. Has the P.D.O mark. or D.O.P.
3. Acidity - up to 0.8%.
4. Color from light gold to dark green, without sediment and white flakes.
5. The country of production is indicated, there is the exact address of the manufacturer, importer and exporter.
6. The implementation period has not exceeded the second half.

Choose olive oil, cook and take care of your health and the health of your loved ones!