Why Greek Olive Oil Is Worth Learning About
Greece is one of the world's largest olive oil producers and its people are among the heaviest users, with olive oil at the base of almost every traditional dish. Most Greek production is extra virgin, and much of it comes from small family groves pressed at local cooperative mills. For a visitor, that means good oil is easy to find, but labels, regions and grades can be confusing. A little background helps you buy well and avoid paying souvenir-shop prices for ordinary oil.
Varieties and Regions
The dominant Greek variety is Koroneiki, a small olive grown widely in the Peloponnese and on Crete. It gives a green, peppery, often bitter oil that is high in polyphenols. Other varieties include Tsounati on Crete, Athinolia in Laconia, Manaki in central Greece and Kolovi and Adramytiani on Lesvos.
Under EU rules, oils from defined areas, made to a registered specification, can carry a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) or Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) label. Greece has more than two dozen olive oil PDOs and PGIs. Well-known examples include:
- Kalamata (Messinia, Peloponnese), made from Koroneiki – not to be confused with Kalamata table olives, which are a different variety.
- Sitia Lasithiou Kritis in eastern Crete, known for low-acidity Koroneiki oil.
- Kolymvari Chanion Kritis in western Crete, from Koroneiki and Tsounati.
- Peza Irakliou Kritis and Archanes Irakliou Kritis, both in the Heraklion wine country of central Crete.
- Lakonia (PGI) in the south-eastern Peloponnese and Lesvos / Mytilini (PGI) in the north-east Aegean.
A PDO label tells you where the olives were grown and pressed; it does not guarantee that one bottle is better than another, but it does mean traceability. The full list of protected names is in the European Commission's eAmbrosia register.
Reading a Label
Look for these on a bottle or tin:
- Extra virgin – the top grade, cold-extracted and with free acidity of 0.8% or less. "Olive oil" without "virgin" is a refined blend and not what you want as a souvenir.
- Harvest date or best-before date – oil is best within about 18 months of harvest. Greek harvest runs from roughly October or November into the new year, so look for the most recent season.
- Acidity – many producers print it. Lower is a sign of sound fruit and careful milling, but acidity alone does not measure flavour.
- Health claim on polyphenols – the EU allows this only for oils above a set polyphenol threshold. It is legitimate but often comes at a premium.
- Packaging – dark glass or tins protect the oil from light. Avoid clear bottles that have sat in a sunny shop window.
How to Taste Olive Oil
Pour a small amount into a small glass, cup it in your hand to warm it, cover the top, swirl, then smell. Good fresh oil smells green: cut grass, tomato leaf, artichoke or green almond. Sip a little and draw air through it. Bitterness on the tongue and a peppery catch at the back of the throat are positive signs of fresh, polyphenol-rich oil, especially in early-harvest Koroneiki.
Signs of faulty oil include smells of crayons or putty (rancid), vinegar, mud or mould. A shop or producer that is proud of its oil will let you taste before you buy.
Many groves and mills on Crete and in the Peloponnese run tastings and tours, and the autumn harvest season from November is the best time to see a mill working. Book directly with a producer or through the local tourist office rather than turning up unannounced at a working mill.
Where to Buy
The best value is usually from cooperatives, producers selling at their own premises, and supermarkets in olive-growing regions, where local oil sits on the shelves in 1-litre bottles and 3- and 5-litre tins. Delicatessens in Athens and the island towns carry premium single-estate oils at higher prices. Tourist shops near cruise ports tend to sell small decorative bottles at the highest price per litre.
If you plan to cook with it at home, a 3- or 5-litre tin from a regional producer is the most economical way to bring oil back, though you will need to check it in.
Getting It Home
Liquids in cabin baggage at Greek airports are subject to the EU rule of containers of 100 ml or less in a single clear bag, so a full bottle of oil cannot go through security in your hand luggage. You have three options:
- Pack it in checked luggage. Tins travel better than glass. Wrap glass bottles in clothes inside a sealed plastic bag and place them in the centre of the case.
- Buy airside. Oil bought in the departure area after security can be carried on board. If you have a connecting flight, ask the shop for a sealed security bag and keep the receipt, as transfer screening rules vary.
- Ship it. Some producers sell online and ship within the EU; deliveries outside the EU depend on the producer.
Olive oil is not normally restricted for personal import into most countries, but if you live outside the EU check your home customs allowance for food and quantities before buying large tins.
Storing and Using It
At home, store oil in a cool, dark cupboard, away from the stove, and keep the cap closed. Once opened, a bottle is best used within a couple of months. Use your best, most peppery oil raw: on salads, beans, grilled fish, bread and tomatoes. Keep cheaper everyday extra virgin for cooking.
