Greek Products:
Olive Oil, Olives, Honey, Vinegar, Paximadi Rusk, Feta Cheese, Roasted Red Peppers, Pepperoncini, Saffron, Mastic, Oregano, Wine, Ouzo.
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Rhodian Products:
In Rhodes island every tourist must visit the village Siana! There you will find great local products such as rhodian honey, a rhodian spirit drink called 'suma', local olive oil and olives, ouzo, local cheese and some other products from Siana village. It's worth to try them before leave Rhodes!!
Greek olive oil with other Greek products has been for thousands of years part of the Greek diet.
It is an entirely natural product, rich in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids containing no c 'holesterol, with antioxidant properties and functions beneficial to health.
Olive oil and Health
The extra virgin olive oil is essential for a proper and balanced diet.
The aroma and taste that gives the oil to all the dishes are unique.
Dietary table
Extra virgin olive oil is rich in vitamins A and E and is highly resistant to oxidation.
Oil, the second water
Olive oil is a living product, a product that needs special care and the quality and taste are directly affected by many factors. Great attention is required to every stage of its life, from the grove until it reaches the final consumer.
Olive tree in ancient time
How valuable the ancient Greeks considered the olive tree is demonstrated in the Olympic Games, where the only winning prize was a wreath of wild olive branch, called kotinos.
The olive season
The olive harvest begins in the autumn. It is a whole ritual, a celebration!
Even today, the olives are collected by hand, although this traditional method has been replaced by the beating.
There is careful selection, of those who will arrive at the mill.
The olive tree is a blessed tree
The olive tree is a blessed tree, which is the core of the mediterranean forest.
Types of olive oil
Generally, olive oil is extracted by pressing or crushing olives. Olive oil comes in different varieties, depending on the amount of processing involved. Varieties include:
Extra virgin - considered the best, least processed, comprising the oil from the first pressing of the olives.
Virgin - from the second pressing.
Pure - undergoes some processing, such as filtering and refining.
Extra light - undergoes considerable processing and only retains a very mild olive flavour.
When buying olive oil you will want to obtain a high quality EXTRA VIRGIN oil. The oil that comes from the first "pressing" of the olive, is extracted without using heat (a cold press) or chemicals, and has no "off" flavors is awarded "extra virgin" status. The less the olive oil is handled, the closer to its natural state, the better the oil. If the olive oil meets all the criteria, it can be designated as "extra virgin".
What is pure and light olive oil? "Pure" olive oil is made by adding a little extra virgin olive oil to refined olive oil. It is a lesser grade oil that is also labeled as just "olive oil" in the U.S.
"Light" olive oil is a marketing concept and not a classification of olive oil grades. It is completely unregulated by any certification organizations and therefore has no real precedent to what its content should be. Sometimes, the olive oil is cut with other vegetable oils.
The Greek olive oil is the basis of the Mediterranean Diet as it is considered to be the healthiest product of the Mother Nature.
Greece produces more than 430,000 tons of olive oil annually, and more than 75% of that is Extra virgin olive oil, which is the best type of olive oil.
The Greek olive oil is exported throughout the world and it is a precious gift Greek land has to offer to the world!
Greece produces the best olives in the world.
Greek Olives are an important part of Greek cuisine and Greek culture.
No meal in most parts of Greece is complete without a bowlful of olives, and there are dozens of ways to cure them.
Olives are found in Greek salad and in countless other Greek dishes.
Greek honey is internationally known to be a special honey, with distinct biological and organoleptic characteristics.
Its supreme quality reflects the country's long sunshine periods and the abrupt changes in the landscape. This special landscape makes Greek flora so rich, that from the 7500 different species of plants growing in Greece, 850 of them are found exclusively here.
That is the reason why certain varieties of honey (e.g. Thyme Honey) do not exist anywhere else in the world.
There are varieties that come from coniferous trees, and others that come from flowers and aromatic plants.
The best honey in Greece comes from thyme, by far the best honey in the world.
Of exceptional quality is the honey coming from flowers, thyme and herbs, flowers and forest originated honey such as sylvan honey, pine tree honey and conifer trees honey.
The country's honey is known since ancient times and it is part of Greek nutrition used to maintain a healthy human organism. Today Greek producers have managed to lower production costs and offer best quality honey in smart packaging and at competitive prices.
Not surprisingly, in Greece is produced exceptional vinegar.
In Greece, one can find the classic vinegar type in different variants and the Greek version of the 'Balsamic' vinegar.
The classic Greek vinegar is produced from a variety of materials: grapes or apples (wine or cider vinegar), malted barley or oats (malt vinegar); and industrial alcohol (distilled white vinegar).
The Greek 'Balsamic' known as 'Glicadi' (sweet vinegar) it is prepared with fresh must right after the harvest. After watering down the must a little vinegar it is added to help start the processing and nature would take care of the rest. The same term 'Glicadi', is applied to describe the vinegar, which is produced from wine, not completely fermented, thus remaining sweet and sour due to the residual sugar it contains.
he Greek rusks are unique in the world.
In Greece one can find either hardtacks or rusks made from qualitative and healthy raw materials known with the Greek name 'Paximadi'.
Undoubtedly, the best paximadi comes from the island of Crete.
Bakeries around the island offer an assortment of organic and traditional paximadi-twice-baked loaves made with chick-pea flour or ancient island grains such as barley-that are dampened under the tap and are sprinkled with local olive oil.
The Greek paximadi is a perfect supplement to the famous Mediterranean diet. It is used at breakfast time, at dinner and lunchtime next to the cheese plate, and as a treat to the afternoon tea or coffee. It is also perfect as a healthy snack throughout the whole day.
The Greek paximadi, and especially the Cretan one, it is exported throughout the world as it is a sought after Greek product.
The oldest cheese type in the world, Feta cheese, it is a genuine Greek product.
Feta cheese belongs to the category of soft cheese.
It is made of sheep milk or a blend of sheep and goat milk up to a proportion of 70:30 %.
Feta cheese is the most characteristic type of all Greek cheeses.
Since October 14, 2002 the feta cheese belongs to the protected products of Name of Origin with the1107/96/European Union's Regulation.
The Feta cheese is exported throughout the world.
The Greek roasted red peppers are of exceptional quality and are mainly produced in Macedonia, in the northern part of Greece.
In Greece, one can find peppers for stuffing, for frying, for pickling and for drying.
The most famous of all Greek red peppers are the 'Florina Peppers', which are long, flat, sweet and bright red peppers.
Greeks use to roast them with olive oil, garlic, parsley and a touch of vinegar.
The Greek Pepperoncini is one of the best in world level.
A true gift of Nature these spicy, crunchy peppers are perfect whole as part of antipasto platter or sliced as salad toppers.
They are great sliced into cold rice or pasta dishes.
The Greek pepperoncini is a perfect supplement to the famous Mediterranean diet.
Pepperoncini is exported throughout the world as it comprises a special and most sought after Greek product.
Masticha is an agricultural product removed by chipping mastic bushes. The product in raw form is available in different grades, 1 to 5, and in different sizes, large tears and small tears. The grades define the purity of the product. Grade 1 is the most pure mastic suitable for humans to eat, grade 3 to 5 is suitable for all other uses and may contain different tear sizes and small tree remains.
Masticha looks like rock candy and has a distinctive taste and chewiness. It is a 100% Greek product, and as such is registered by the European Union as PDO (PGI) name. It is only produced on the island of Chios, in the Aegean Sea, and especially in the Southern part in the Mastic villages or the so called 'Mastichohoria'. Even though people tried to take mastic to different countries in the past, amazingly enough mastic is impossible to grow in any other part of the world except Chios.
Chios Mastic, popular since ancient times, was and still is a highly commercialized product due to its cosmetic, pharmaceutical and industrial applications. During the Ottoman Empire the Sultan used to give the mastic to his harems for fresh breath and white teeth. During the 1960's it was exported to Germany to be used in the shoeshine industry.
Today it is proven that mastic has therapeutic uses to lower cholesterol, prevent ulcers and ease blood pressure. Mastic is also used for Greek delicacies (ipovrixio), ice cream (kaimaki), drinks, baked goods, chewing gum, cosmetics such as toothpaste, lotions for the hair and skin and perfumes.
The best period for harvesting is July and August. After the mastic is collected it is spread out to dry while it is washed manually.
Greek red saffron or 'Krokos Kozanis', a pure product of the Greek land, is considered to be one of the best saffrons in the world.
A precious spice, adds an exquisite flavor and color to food and drinks. It is also used in distilleries, dairy products and in numerous other applications.
With the name Oregano or Origanum we mean the flowering tops of the perennial herb Origanum vulgaris.
The origin of the name 'Oregano' comes from ancient Greece. It is a compound from the Greek words 'oros' (mountain) and 'ganos' (joy), i.e. 'joy of the mountain', probably due to the fact that the oregano roots prohibit the washing of the mountain slopes by rain or just by its fantastic smell.
In any case, those who have visited Greece, where oregano covers the hillsides and scents the summer air, would probably agree with this name.
Origanum vulgaris grows exclusively to the zone containing the whole Mediterranean Basin and reaching to Central Asia.
Origanum vulgaris, often known as Wild Marjoram, is an extremely invasive plant with a pink flower. Its most important subdivision is the so-called Greek regano (Origanum heracleoticum).
Greek Oregano is one spicy herb and is by far the best oregano in the world. Greek Oregano has a flavour so intense it numbs the end of the tongue when fresh. Like all culinary oreganos, its flower is white. It has coarse, ovate, fuzzy leaves and grows up to 40cm high in bloom. It is grown in light, fairly rich, well-drained soil with pH 7.0-8.0. Use to season fish, meats, salads, sauces, and stews it has medicinal properties as well.
Greece is the country where the wine making was born.
In the last 20 years Greece has experienced a reborn of the winemaking industry. The typical Retsina and Demestica days and the 2lt bottles production has now become a qualitative selection of VQPRD and Table wines, created by the new generation of wine makers who have put the art of wine making back in the forefront of Greece's recent achievements. As the Olympic Games of 2004 return back to their homeland, this year finds Greece's wine industry to have earned the consumer trust and confidence it deserves and has now become a considerable selection in the buying lists of major suppliers and distributors in the world wine arena.
Today, Greece produces some of the best wines in the world.
The Greek wines are classified in 'Appellation of Origin' wines, in 'Local' wines or 'Vins de Pays', in 'Table' wines, and in 'Aged' wines.
The equivalent of the European Union's V.Q.P.R.D., Appellation of Origin, is a registered place name under which wines can be marketed if all production criteria have been met.
Appellations of Origin are further defined as 'Appellations of High-quality Origin' or 'Appellations of Controlled Origin'.
Greece has 28 Appellations of Origin, including 20 of High Quality.
The Greek Vins de Pays are marketed bearing a geographic indicator that refers to the commune, wine region or even area where they were made. The purpose of the indicator is to give a regional identity to less-tightly-regulated areas that produce quality table wine. There are more than 70 vins de pays in Greece.
Table wine as a category embraces a broad range of labels. It has been sub-divided in 'Appellation by Tradition' wines and in 'Commercial Wines'.
Some wines improve their character when aged in wooden casks or after bottling. Greek legislation employs special terms to classify such wines according to their categories and aging periods.
It is not produced in any other part of the world except Greece.
Ouzo, it is a 100% Greek product and country's national drink.
Ouzo is made from a precise combination of pressed grapes, herbs and berries. It begins as alcohol made from grape skins or other local produce. It is then mixed together with herbs and other ingredients, including star anise, coriander, cloves, angelica root, licorice, mint, wintergreen, fennel, hazelnut and even cinnamon and lime blossom. The mixture is boiled in a copper still, regulated by a taster.
The resulting liquid is cooled and stored for several months before it is diluted to about 80 proofs, or 40 per cent alcohol.
Ouzo it is usually served as an aperitif on ice and water, in mixed drinks and cocktails.
Ouzo drinking is an art. Or maybe it's a way of life, the Greek way of life.
Ouzo is exported throughout the world and Ouzo is one of Greece's most sought after products.
