Competing with 816 entries from 27 countries, Greek olive oil producers earned 55 awards at the 2022 edition of Olive Japan—the third largest number of prizes, after Spain and Italy. Capturing an impressive 5 gold awards and 4 silvers, Goutis Estate also won the Best of Greece distinction this year, while several other Greek companies won multiple prizes.
At this year’s Anatolian International Olive Oil Competition in Turkey, Greek extra virgin olive oils and Greek flavored olive oils won 21 silver awards, 18 golds, and 2 Monovarietal Best in Class awards (for Pamako, which was also judged Best of Greece, and for Terra Creta). In the second year of this competition, 302 samples were evaluated by 25 judges.
How should I use olive oil? Greeks don’t need to ask, since they consume more of this liquid gold per capita than anyone else in the world. To help those outside the major olive growing regions, Greek Liquid Gold asked Greek olive oil producers and company representatives, plus two prominent European chefs, about their favorite ways to eat olive oil.
What is agrotourism? How does it overlap with food tourism? What good is it? We can explore these questions with examples from Greece, one of the European countries trying to expand tourism beyond the beaches and the summer. With its wealth of olive oil, wine, and fresh produce, the Greek countryside reveals the secrets of traditional healthy Greek cuisine.
By driving around the Corinthian Gulf, we can sample the various types of tourism available in Greece: beaches from Xylokastro to Nafpaktos, archaeological sites from Corinth to Delphi, endless olive groves, spring wildflowers, rivers, mountains, outdoor activities, gastronomic experiences, castles and bridges—all within a few hours’ drive of Athens.
This is the revised edition of a list that should grow very long but still has a great deal of room to grow—and additions are welcome. It focuses on where to buy bottled and branded 100% Greek extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs), since these are high quality, healthy olive oils that have their flavor sealed into bottles where oxygen cannot harm its quality.
At the 23rd Los Angeles International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition in 2022, 517 olive oil samples were submitted by 246 producers based in 16 countries. Although this longstanding contest in California is not one of the major showcases for Greek olive oils, producers of Greek extra virgin olive oils and flavored olive oils took home dozens of awards.
With 736 olive oils from 26 countries competing at the EVO International Olive Oil Contest (EVO IOOC) in Italy, Greek olive oils from both new and established companies took home 78 awards. Judged by 23 expert tasters from 11 countries, Greek extra virgin olive oils received 53 awards, while Greek flavored olive oils claimed 25 medals at this competition.
Competing with 563 olive oils from 22 countries, Greek olive oils captured 176 awards at the 7th Athena International Olive Oil Competition this year. In Sitia, Crete, 30 judges from 12 countries evaluated almost equal numbers of samples from Greece and abroad, with the results suggesting that the quality of Greek olive oil continues to improve each year.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a controversial drug that may slow cognitive decline in patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Uncertainty about the drug’s efficacy and cost and concern about the possibility of serious side effects led three FDA advisory committee members to resign. Could extra virgin olive oil do better?
At the 27th edition of the BIOL International Prize, Greek organic extra virgin olive oils were awarded 4 extra gold medals and 11 golds. Many consider BIOL the largest, most important contest dedicated to organic olive oil. This year, 500 olive oils from 18 countries were judged by 30 experts from 12 nations. Mediterre Eurofood was the top Greek winner.
If you know anything about Greek food, you’ve probably heard of spanakopita, the classic spinach pie with feta cheese and phyllo (or filo) pastry. My Cretan neighbor’s recipe is especially rich in leeks, onion, herbs, and olive oil, which blend beautifully with the spinach and feta. You can buy your phyllo or make your own, like Arhontoula always does.
We know we should eat nutritious foods to stay well, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. Many also realize extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) offers numerous health benefits, so it can play a vital role in a healthy diet. While no food has been proven to prevent or treat COVID-19, some evidence suggests EVOO could help us combat the novel coronavirus.
Olive oil is good for us--so good that it is considered both a healthy food and a delicious medicine! There are so many articles about the scientific evidence for the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil that it’s hard to keep track of them. Here is an overview, followed by links to the best, clearest, most useful recent articles I’ve read.
In this elegant gourmet recipe by chef Vassilis Alexiou, a spicy, full-bodied Manaki extra virgin olive oil from the Peloponnese in Greece gives a boost to the mild flavors of lentils, cuttlefish, and caviar. The recipe exemplifies this Greek chef’s interest in “waking up” or enlivening a recipe that starts out mild, by adding a bold extra virgin olive oil.
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