Olive Oil - Past and Present

Since ancient times olive oil is at the heart of the history of the Mediterranean countries. Olive oil is a food loaded with symbols like bread and wine, taking part in both the sacred aspects of life and the profane and it is far from remaining a simple article of consumption.

History of olive oil begins thousands of years ago, when oleastrul was an endemic species covering vast stretches of Greece to Syria. Crete was studded with these trees that people have learned to cultivate, so the traveler arrived in front of the steps leading to the palace of Knossos can not help to admire the formidable sculptures showing the place occupied the olive tree in  Minoans (2700-1200 i. hr). Archaeological excavations have revealed high amorphous streams of up to two meters, full of oil, which were so numerous that they were supposed to store up to 100,000 liters.

Nowadays,  quality extravirgin olive oil is obtained by well-established procedures, starting from the collection of olives which in most of Greece (including Crete) is done manually, which requires a large workforce; the pressing of the olives is also done by exclusively mechanical processes and factory storage is done in large stainless steel containers at max. 15 degrees Celsius. The sale of quality olive oil is done in special metal containers or dark colored bottles to protect from ultraviolet rays. It is not recommended to keep it in the refrigerator, at temperatures below 4 degrees, it solidifies, but that does not mean that its quality is altered.

As with wines, the quality of olive oil is due to: the quality of the soil, the variety of the olives harvested (monovarietal extravirgin olive oil from a single variety of olives, being highly appreciated), the climate and the manufacturer's expertise.  Thus, taking into account these aspects, some extravirgin olive oils deserve to be labeled as P.G.I - Protected Geographical Indication, or P.D.O. - Protected Designation of Origin.