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

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two men harvesting olives in a grove using hand-held harvesters

Looking to the future, Greek experts anticipate challenges for the Greek olive oil sector, but also see potential for positive developments. Considering the situation of the Greek olive oil industry in and beyond 2022, including ongoing climate change and production and export models and plans, they offer a variety of predictions and recommendations.

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Antonia Trichopoulou seated next to Clemens Wittenbecher

Headlines worldwide praise the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. At a conference on the Greek island of Crete, international experts emphasized what many have agreed on for years: the foundation of this diet was discovered in the culinary tradition of Crete decades ago. Scientists argue that this tradition still offers a wealth of benefits.

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a young man drinking fresh olive oil in an olive mill

Looking back at 2022, Greek experts shared their views on the Greek olive oil sector. They mentioned the large quantity of olive oil produced recently in Greece (in contrast to Spain and Italy), as well as its high quality and fairer price for producers. However, they were concerned about a shortage of laborers and the costliness of energy and fertilizer.

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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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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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oranges hanging from trees like Christmas decorations

I've always enjoyed dessert, especially my mother’s holiday creations. But when I learned I was following my mother into pre-diabetes, I decided it was time for a change. If you’ve resolved to eat more healthy food and less added sugar in the New Year, consider my method: stop the sugar, increase the tasty healthy foods, allow yourself bits of sweet treats.

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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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olive tree plain below Achladokambos, with mountains in the distance

Many scientific studies have provided evidence of olive oil’s health benefits. Registered dietitian and nutritionist Elena Paravantes is a strong advocate of this healthy oil and the Greek Mediterranean diet where it plays a major role. She believes this oil and diet contributed to her progenitors’ longevity. For example, her grandfather lived 104 years.

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Greek salad with soft white mizithra cheese on top of the vegetables

The Mediterranean diet is a healthy, tasty diet and lifestyle associated with communities near certain parts of the Mediterranean Sea, especially the Greek island of Crete, based on the way the locals typically ate before the 1960s. The American professor Ancel Keys led the first major study of the health benefits of this diet in the 1950s.

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two whole fish on a plate of olive oil, with the sea in the background

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.

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A Cretan mother making spanakopita

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.

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A member of parliament and the secretary general of CIHEAM cutting the ribbon for the garden, with spectators around them

A Garden of Peace with 21 varieties of olive trees was inaugurated on July 19 at the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania (MAICh) in Crete, Greece. The trees come from the 21 olive-growing countries that represent 95% of the world’s olive production. Viewed as a symbol of peace for millennia, olive trees are the sole focus of this new garden.

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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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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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a large glass bowl of spanakorizo next to a small bouquet of anemones

You can make this vegan recipe using more or less of various ingredients, including spinach, depending on your preference. You can even use the spinach stems left over after you’ve made something else with the spinach leaves. I prefer to make the dish healthier using wholegrain brown rice, but that must be cooked separately given its longer cooking time.

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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 are invited to become sponsors or major supporters, purchase banner ads, and take advantage of writing and editing services.

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