1.    HISTORICAL NOTES ABOUT CORINTHIAN OLIVE OIL

Corinthia is blessed with a long standing agrarian tradition.  As early as the 2nd century BC Pausanias praised corinthian olives, and documented their bond with Hellenic heritage, longstanding traditions and economic activities of the people.  Contributing factors such as a gentle Sea breeze, bright sunshine,  a rich subsoil and a temperate climate perennially have helped to establlish  the production of robust goods.   The  manaki variety  that is cultivated in the area benefits from these ideal conditions to yield our Corinthian olive oil, renowned for its premium texture.  Consise stages of its development:

The cultivation of olive trees in Ancient Greece is well represented in history, a fact best illustrated by the story of how the Goddess Athena gifted the olive tree to the citizens of Athens, by the Erechthion  temple dedicated to Morios Zeus, so that the tree was called  Moria Elea.  Indeed it was this gift that led to the name Athens for the capital of Greece. Due to its provenance the olive tree  symbolises wisdom, peace and prosperity. Ambassadors and olympic champions were crowned with  wreaths of wild olive branches.

The importance of olive oil in diet, sports, cosmetics,  offerings, medicine, lamp fuel etc, is well documented in numerous scholarly treatises. Olive wood was also important as a source of fuel, furniture, wood carvings and effigies as well as ship construction.

•    Other historical mentions include  fragments by Homer and others, who name olive oil “pure liquid gold”.  Αeschylus talks of Samos as the “oliveclad island’, while Herodotus comments upon the terrific “olives of Sikyon”, showing the ancient existence of such trees in our locality and also explaining why they have always been considered sacred. 




2.    HEALTH AND FOOD IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

It is now well accepted internationally, that authentic olive oil coupled with fine products of the Greek earth form the basis of the balanced Meditteranean diet, a diet well known for the role it plays in wellness and longevity.  Our Corinthian territory produces thousands of tons of olive oil annually.  Olive oil can be found in a variety of color, flavor and taste, however pure extra olive oil provide the most beneficial effects on human metabolism which include:
•    A boost of the human immune system and thus an increased protection against disease. This effect is particularly important in children.
•    Hippocrates believed olive oil  healed diverse illnesses.  Today doctors agree on its effect in regulating levels of  unsaturated fatty acids, omega 3 fatty acids, fat soluble vitamis and antioxidants and as providing an extra defence against diseases.
•    It protects our heart and regulates blood pressure ,as  well as dicreasing the risk of thrombosis.
•    It reguates the levels of cholesterol and diminishes the change of developing diabetes.
•    Its effects in cholesterol and lipid regulation decrease the change of a stroke, a quite common cause of death in developed countries.
•    Helps in regulating weight and decreases the chances of gastric ulcer. 


3.    ΟUR VARIETIES

Our extra virgin olive oil is made 80% from the selected Corinthian variety "Manaki", while 20% consists of a blend by "Patrinia" and "Chondroelia" varieties. This combination takes quality & taste to another level. It is produced purely out of olives and is extracted merely by mechanical processes.

i)             Manaki

Through a mild cultivation method, we process the local Manaki olives of our grove according to regionally inherited technique. This successful variety can be traced back to ancient times in Corinthia/Argolis. 4 kilos of olives usually yield 1 kilo of oil.   After a slow maturation,  the best time for harvest comes during January to February. ,The fruit is of  middle size, weighing 2,2 to 2,9 gr, is of round or oval shape and can endure the winds, the altitude, and the low temperatures of the region. 


ii)           Patrinia

These olive trees yield relatively small, cylindrical-conical fruit, weighing 1,2 gr. as on average and that’s why Greeks call them koutsouliera or lianolia (=tiny).  Requiring a heavily humid soil. they have dark green leaves that are 3,95 cm long and 0,88 cm wide.  The analogy of the flesh to core analogy is 5:1 and it contains 25% oil. A rare and vulnerable variety, it is grown and conserved in a narrow strip of land between Corinthia and Achaia. These trees are sensitive to heat and cold, but they yield an olive oil of soft taste, low in acids, winner of many international awards.  


iii)        Chondroelia

Under its Greek name, chondroelia, meaning "fat olive" this tree is known for its endurance to cold and its similarity to the “conservolia” olive of Amfissa. It has big round fruit of purple colour and rich flesh.  Usually of oval shape, it is both edible and ideal for producing oil and deserves its nickname “queen”, as it  has a very high oil yield per fruit weight.  Together with its cousin, the Kalamata olive, they are the most common edible varieties.  The leaves are of middle size, long and spiky, while its fruit is big ,weighing 5-12 gr, with  a crunchy white flesh, that is easily separated from its core.  Ιts skin is thin and elastic,without wrinkles.  The green fruit is usually more vulnerable than the mature one. 


4.    ΟUR OLIVE OIL IN YOUR KITCHEN

Its uniquely balanced taste which makes it a popular favorite with consumers and its exclusivity due to its greek origin have gifte our oil with various special characteristics:,

  • Superbly rich taste coupled with a delicate sweetness (delightfully soft touch)
  • Smooth texture with an added bonus of never causung heartburn
  • Charismatic fragrances that are liberated during cooking.
  •   piquant and fruity/bitter taste, a perfect assortment to salads/soups/sauces/dips, barbequed meat or fish pieces, poultry filets etc.
  •   Can be wellmatched  to many  snacks and dishes, while it can also be enjoyed raw with fresh bread.
     due to its endurance tog temperatures, it can be used easily for frying, braising, sizzlling and so on.