• olive groves on hills
  • header_olives_v2
  • wildflowers
  • blossoms
  • olive branches

Details
a group of smiling people posing in a restaurant

On World Olive Day, two dozen olive oil enthusiasts gathered at Avli Restaurant in Rethymno, Crete for a day-long olive oil tasting and food pairing workshop. Led by an olive oil tasting expert trained in Spain and an award-winning Greek chef, this diverse group came together to explore the flavors and aromas of a key element of the Mediterranean diet.

Details
a plate piled high with brown melomakarona cookies, with angel decorations near the plate and a bit of Christmas tree in the background

Melomakarona, traditional Greek Christmas cookies, tend to be rich in olive oil and honey (with the beginning of their name coming from meli, the Greek word for honey). Dr. Eleni Melliou, president of the World Olive Center for Health in Athens, shared a version of her grandmother’s cookie recipe that uses super healthy high phenolic extra virgin olive oil.

Details
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.

Details
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.

Details
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. 

Details
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.

Details
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?

Details
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.

Details
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.

Details
a woman in a long, sleeveless white dress with her hand on an olive tree trunk, viewed from the back, in an olive grove

The G-TEAM is a group of producers who are dedicated to bringing the world some of the natural Greek products they have valued since their childhood in Greece. Melding the traditions of Greek agriculture passed down through generations with the latest scientific developments, the G-TEAM creates flavorful, supremely healthy HYPERELEON® extra virgin olive oil.

Details
the white stone foundation walls remaining for an ancient room, with a gorge and hills beyond it

My first encounter with the archaeological site of Ancient Rokka took place at night, accompanied by my two small children, a crowd, and an orchestra. It was the night of the August full moon, when Greece celebrates the summer with special events, including a live outdoor musical performance on a steep, rocky hillside above a village in northwestern Crete.

Details
two men in a vineyard in Crete, one holding a grapevine

The Hellenic Center for Excellence in Health & Wellness is being established as a non-profit in the USA to sponsor research and educational programs in Crete, Greece in partnership with the Grecotel hotel chain. The goal is to increase awareness of the health benefits of the traditional Cretan diet and lifestyle, starting with an autumn conference in Crete.

Details
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.

Details
costumed professional dancers and conference participants dancing together at AgrecoFarms

An experiential conference titled Cretan Lifestyle: Mediterranean Tradition & Modern Applications assembled some of the world’s top thought leaders in the fields of nutrition, epidemiology, public health, and Cretan culture at Grecotel Resorts in Rethymno, Crete November 7-11, attracting students, researchers, clinicians, and food sector professionals.

Details
The Nutri-Score label for a product graded C

A debate continues in Europe about front-of-pack labeling systems for packaged food, with the European Commission (EC) planning to propose one scheme for mandatory use throughout the European Union. The EC is considering at least four labeling schemes, with the best-known, Nutri-Score, receiving significant criticism from the olive oil sector, among others.

Details
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.

Major Sponsors

Laconiko Olive Oil

Major Supporters

AG-Design-Agency_Levantes-Family-Farm-1-revised-390x260
Liokareas logo
OLEA logo 390x260