• olive groves on hills
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  • wildflowers
  • blossoms
  • olive branches

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olive groves on a cloudy day

Countless headlines proclaim the high price of olive oil. Climate change-induced heatwaves, droughts, floods, and fires have drastically reduced global olive oil production levels. Coupled with high prices for energy and labor, this has driven prices to record highs. So is olive oil worth what it costs? Yes: its flavor and health benefits make it priceless. 

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burned olive trees on bare ground, one in the right foreground with a large hole in it

After a megafire burned across the southern part of the regional unit of Evros in northeastern Greece for 17 days, olive farmers and experts are assessing losses and considering steps toward regeneration. Fires around the Dadia national park and the city of Alexandroupoli merged in the largest wildfire ever recorded in Europe, with devastating results. 

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Bottles and tins of olive oil on store shelves

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.

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the ancient olive tree of Vouves, Crete (as much of the trunk and crown as the space for the photo allows)

Locals claim the ancient olive tree of Ano Vouves, Crete is the oldest olive tree in Greece. This may be an exaggeration, but at 3,000 to 5,000 years old, it is one of the oldest and most impressive. Although its huge trunk is now hollow, this tree still produces olives and entices tens of thousands of tourists to admire its sculptural beauty each year.

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Boiled greens with olive oil and lemon on a white plate

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.

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olive oils and other products on the shelves of a specialty store in Athens, with a small table for sampling products in front of the shelves

Greek Liquid Gold asked Greek olive oil experts about the best ways to select and preserve extra virgin olive oil to retain its optimal flavor and maximum health benefits. They shared useful advice about where to buy olive oil, what to look for as you shop, where to keep your olive oil at home, and how long its excellent flavor and health benefits can last.

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Irini Kokolaki preparing to taste olive oil from a blue glass

The Greek olive harvest began in September, but November is traditionally the busiest month for the thousands of olive farmers and olive mills that produce Greek olive oil. Many dedicated Greeks are learning the techniques needed to make some of the world’s best extra virgin olive oils. But how can consumers tell if they are buying extra virgin olive oil?

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Small bowls of olive oil and olives

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.

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Part of a tin of Yanni's Finest extra virgin olive oil lying on its side, with some golden olive oil pouring out

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?

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a panel of speakers on a stage, one standing at a podium, the others sitting in front of a screen that says "Planeterranean Project"

Have you ever wondered how you can enjoy the flavor and health benefits of the Mediterranean diet if you don’t live in the Mediterranean region and can’t get many Mediterranean products where you live? Scientists have not forgotten you. They have come up with an answer in the form of a “Planeterranean Diet” that adopts key concepts from the famous Med diet.

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Alexis and Francesco Karabelas, owners of The Olive Temple

At the 2023 London International Olive Oil Competitions (IOOC), 20 judges from 12 countries awarded 144 prizes to Greek olive oils. In this contest with 863 entries, Greek olive oil competed with products from 34 countries in quality, health claim, and infused olive oil competitions. Fifteen Greek olive oils won the contest’s top award, platinum prizes.

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several bottles of olive oil from three different brands on display on a table

With the tourist season underway in Greece, restaurants are welcoming visitors to enjoy the mouth-watering Greek dishes that delight diners from across the globe. Since Greek cuisine and the Mediterranean diet would hardly exist without olive oil, many believe this liquid gold should have a place of honor on restaurant tables, as Greek law now allows.

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an olive grove on a hillside with some wildflowers and a flowering tree blooming

At the 8th edition of the Athena International Olive Oil Competition in 2023, 525 samples from 23 countries were assessed by 29 judges from 14 nations. Tasting the samples at this year’s competition base in Kavala, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, northeastern Greece, the judges awarded 159 prizes to a diverse set of Greek extra virgin and flavored olive oils.

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Olive oil orange juice cookies on a plate and in two large jars near a glass of wildflowers

This is a revision of a traditional Greek olive oil and orange juice cookie with less sugar, more whole wheat flour, more orange zest, and more spices than the original. Very tasty, it is appropriate for certain types of fasting as well as for vegans, those seeking to lower their cholesterol, and health-conscious eaters who enjoy a slightly sweet treat. 

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Laconiko's olive harvest

Greek olive oil companies earned 52 awards at the 2023 edition of the Olive Japan International Olive Oil Competition. In a contest with 710 entries from 24 countries, 17 judges from 11 nations awarded 21 gold prizes and 31 silvers to Greek olive oils. Mediterre Eurofood SA won the Best of Greece distinction for its Koroneiki variety Mediterre Alea.

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bottles of Greek olive oil on shelves in a shop

All certified companies that produce, bottle, and/or export bottled and branded 100% Greek extra virgin olive oil are welcome to take advantage of all the advertising and sponsorship options on www.greekliquidgold.com. Other relevant businesses and organizations that work with 100% Greek extra virgin olive oil and/or related Greek products or services are invited to become sponsors or major supporters, purchase banner ads, and take advantage of writing and editing services. Greek Liquid Gold reserves the right to determine which businesses and organizations are relevant to the website's focus and goals.

Major Sponsors

Laconiko Olive Oil

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