Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 500ml, Terra Creta

Terra Creta's organic olive oil can impress any connoisseur with aromas of warm butter and delicate notes of black pepper.

Type: Extra Virgin

Strict processes are followed in the cultivation and production of this organic olive oil. Everything that comes from the olive tree is returned to the environment – olive leaves removed during processing are given to local farms to feed animals, and the water needed to wash the olives is returned to the olive groves for irrigation. It is also extremely important to note that no chemical fertilizers or pesticides are used in the cultivation process, and the bottles are made from recyclable materials.

Terra Creta's organic olive oil won a gold medal at BIOL in 2011 and 2013, with BIOL being one of the most significant competitions dedicated to the best Extra Virgin organic olive oils in the world.

Production Method: Cold pressing

Acidity: 0.5%

Olive Variety: Koroneiki

Country of Origin: Crete Island

About Olive Oil

Homer called it "the liquid gold of the Mediterranean," and in our modern times, we call it fresh olive juice. And olive oil is exactly that – juice extracted by cold pressing olives. Processing techniques lead to the division of olive oil into two groups: refined and unrefined. Unrefined oils are pure and unprocessed oils that have not undergone thermal or chemical treatment during pressing. Therefore, they are purer and have a sharper taste. Refined oils are processed and are usually lighter in color and milder in taste.

"Extra virgin" olive oil is unrefined olive oil obtained from the first pressing. Since the oil is not heated during extraction, beneficial plant compounds called polyphenols are preserved. As is known, the highest quality olive oil is extra virgin olive oil. Its taste is more pronounced, and its color is darker.

Olive oil is a fundamental part of the Mediterranean diet, which is registered by UNESCO on the list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

The nutrient-rich monounsaturated fatty acids, phenolic compounds, and vitamins contained in olive oil add antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and chemoprotective properties. Various studies show the following benefits of consuming olive oil:

• Reduction of factors responsible for cardiovascular diseases.
• Protection against gastrointestinal diseases.
• Therapeutic properties for burns.
• Treatment of high blood pressure.
• Treatment of high cholesterol.
• Reduction of fat concentration in the liver.
• Protection against growth retardation and metabolic disorders.

In addition to being a staple food, over the years, and in some cases even today, olive oil has been used for the production of perfumes and cosmetics, food preservation, a means of oxidizing metals, for cleaning and polishing wooden furniture, and for religious, therapeutic, and aesthetic purposes.

The history of Cretan olive oil dates back hundreds of years, and its origin is placed in the time of the ancient Minoans. Finds have been discovered in the palace of Knossos in the 4th millennium BC, such as olive oil storage vessels, while the island's economy was based on olive cultivation and trade in mainland Greece, the northern coast of Africa, and the Middle East, making Cretans the first exporters of olive oil. The monumental ancient olive trees in the area are evidence of hundreds of years of lineage and history, while some of them have been identified by UNESCO as monuments.

Cretan olive oil does not have the heavy smell regularly found in cold-pressed "Extra Virgin." On the contrary, it has an exceptionally fresh olive taste, thanks to the island's sunny climate and favorable soil. The warm climate, lack of air pollution, and strict rules for olive care and pressing are the main factors why olive oil from Crete is one of the highest quality and healthiest olive oils.

The highest quality Cretan olive oil is extracted from only one type of olive - the "Royal." This is the smallest variety of the Kalamata olive, known as Koroneiki. Olives in Crete are harvested while still green to ensure the fresh and light taste of the olive oil. In other agricultural areas, the total production of olive oil is about 10 liters per tree, while Koroneiki olives produce only 1 to 3 liters of the valuable elixir. The quantity is smaller, but in return, we get an extremely high-quality product.