Greece is one of the top three olive oil-producing countries in the world. Olive oil from the region is lovingly referred to as “green gold.”
It’s no surprise that Greece produces some of the finest olive oils worldwide. Fossilized olive leaves up to 60,000 years old have been found in Greece. The systematic cultivation of olive trees began on the island of Crete in Neolithic times, with olive cultivation documented during the Minoan civilization in 4,000 BC.
Traditional cultivation methods, along with the land and trees themselves, have been passed down from generation to generation. This instills a deep respect for the trees and the land that is hard to find in more modern production models that focus on quantity over quality. A quality olive oil cannot be produced if the main focus is a large crop for mass production - which often means excessive use of heat, chemicals, and stressing the olive trees.
Greek olive oil is some of the finest in the world, especially Greek extra virgin olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil comes from the first pressing of the olives with no chemicals or hot water added during processing. Acidity levels are below 0.8 percent and this produces exceptional quality, aroma, and taste.
With more than 30 million olive trees, about 5% of the world’s olive oil comes from Crete. Purchasing directly from a Cretan brand like Teas & Trees gives you an authentic, unadulterated olive oil experience. Teas & Trees olive oil comes from a village on the mountains called Zaros, in central Crete. We offer four different sizes, depending on your needs: 500g, 1L, 3L and 5L.
Our Teas & Trees olive oil is great to use cold, like on salads or to dip bread, or for cooking.