Greece’s Olive Oil Industry — What You Need to Know

Since ancient times, olive oil has been a staple of the Greek culture and diet, with the poet Homer even referring to it as the “golden liquid.” Researchers estimate that Greece’s first olive tree was planted in 3,500 BC on Crete. Today, Greek extra-virgin olive oil is known for its purity whereas many international olive oils are mixed with inferior products such as corn oil and canola oil.

Many Greek olive orchards have opened to visitors, who can visit groves throughout the year, observing the summer growth, autumn harvest, and spring blossoms. They can see how olive oil is made and, in some cases, try some of the grove’s best products.

Back to the roots

The first of Greece’s olive trees sprouted on Crete during the rule of Minoan civilization, when olive oil was also used in perfumes and medicine. No one knows whether the trees were planted by humans or arose from an olive that ended up on the ground, but either way, Crete is the best place to see Greece’s ancient olive trees.

Fourteen olive trees on Crete have been designated as monuments by the Association of Cretan Olive Municipalities, which strives to preserve the trees and promote them as tourist destinations. The trees’ huge, gnarly trunks are indicative of their longevity, and visitors come from all over the world to admire them. Some of the more famous trees include the olive tree in the ancient settlement of Azorias in Kavousi and the olive tree of Vouves.

The trees are more than just a tourist draw in Crete — they have become part of the island’s rich mythology, festivals, and traditions. This is possibly best embodied by the city of Gortys, where an ancient olive tree’s root has grown around a Roman column.

Producing the oil

To best observe how olive oil traditionally is produced in Crete, visitors should head to the Chania area. Thanks to the region’s climate, which is especially conducive to olive growing, Chania groves grow some of the best olives in the world. Olive oil producers use a natural extraction process that turns the olives into high-quality extra-virgin olive oil. The fruit is cold-pressed using a process that does not use high temperatures or chemicals that can taint the oil.

There are several visitor-friendly olive oil farms in Crete where visitors can get an upfront view of the process. Cretan Olive Oil Farm in Agios Nikolaos on Crete’s eastern coast based its modern pressing techniques on the cold-press tradition. Visitors can walk through the farms’ 135-year-old working olive oil factory and taste the farm’s products for free. They can also choose a guided tour to learn more about what Crete was like before it became a tourist destination and see the property’s “Hippocratic” gardens and traditional wine press and raki distillery. The farm also offers wine tastings and ceramic workshops.

The Paraschakis Olive Oil Farm in Melidoni, Crete, produces about 400 tons of golden-green olive oil every harvest. Established in 1991, the farm offers free tours of its three olive factories that show how the pressing process has evolved. The first factory demonstrates how olive oil was produced long ago, with manual tools and animal labor. The second factory includes a diesel machine, demonstrating how the use of technology helped to make the process more efficient. The third factory shows visitors how today the Paraschakis family uses a centrifuge to release oil from olives. After the tour, visitors can buy olive oil to take home.

Learning more

The Olive Tree Museum of Vouves on Crete aims to show how the people of Greece are connected to the olive tree. It’s a great place to learn more about the details of growing and harvesting olives, such as how olive trees are pruned and harvested. The museum’s central exhibit is the world’s oldest olive tree, the Monumental Olive Tree of Vouves, which is visited by about 20,000 people annually.

Other exhibits include ancient tools used to cultivate olive trees, such as a wooden plow that has been used since prehistoric times. The museum also is home to other types of plows, including single- and two-furrow plows.

Bringing it home

Olive oil is readily available in Greece for purchase, but tourists must remember that if they are traveling internationally they cannot take it in carry-on luggage. For those who can’t make it to an olive oil farm, Greece’s AB supermarkets offer a wide selection of quality olive oils priced at about seven euros per liter. The chain’s brand recently won the 2018 Gold Award, an award recognizing the best olive oil in the world. For those who’d rather not risk packing their olive oil in their suitcase, they can ask the store if they offer international shipping.