Olive oil tourism (oleotourism) attracts increasing numbers of visitors who seek authentic experiences in olive oil producing countries. This type of sustainable alternative tourism focuses on tradition, tasting, discovery, and hands-on experiences in rural areas. The International Olive Council organized an international webinar to explore it with experts.
The 2025 EVOO World Ranking (EVOOWR) recognized 881 awards for Greece. These included many for Koroneiki extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs) and flavored oils. Based on the EVOOWR’s criteria, the Best Greek EVOO Company is Papadopoulos Olive Oil P.C.—The Master Miller, while the Best Greek EVOO is Terra Creta Grand Cru from Melissa-Kikizas S.A.—Terra Creta.
A cookie with a Michelin mention! Moustokouloura, or grape-must cookies, are a hallmark of the autumn in Athens, and the most famous ones hail from the Daremas family bakery in Markopoulo, in the heart of the Mesogeia region of Attica, famed since antiquity for its grapevines and wine…. The rich and famous liked their moustokouloura with morning coffee.
Athens food culture has shifted dramatically from its traditional taverna days. Now “the Greek capital is one of the most vibrant cities in Europe, if not the world, with a food scene that is as multilayered and fascinating as its history, a city at once ancient and modern” (2), with food that’s both Greek and multicultural, sometimes in the same dish.
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.
This is a wonderful stuffing recipe in which I do not miss the butter one bit; good bakery bread and an excellent extra virgin olive oil make it perfect. The herbs do have an intense flavor, so you can use less than called for if you prefer. Of course, you can use various combinations of fresh and dried herbs, depending on availability and your preference.
World Olive Day 2025 was celebrated in Córdoba, Spain by representatives from 28 olive oil and olive producing and exporting countries and two international organizations. They discussed the sector’s opportunities and challenges and endorsed the Córdoba Declaration of principles and priorities for sustainability, health, trade, and international cooperation.
Okay, so I’m not exactly Greek, but my olive oil is, and my family will tell you that I’m obsessed with it. So obsessed that I almost forgot about Thanksgiving for the first time in 14 years in Crete. So when I decided on a healthier Thanksgiving, that meant one with more olive oil. Let me explain, and then I’ll offer some Thanksgiving recipe suggestions.
Olive trees have existed longer than modern humans, and the history of olive oil in Greece spans millennia. Wild olive leaf fossils from the Greek island of Evia date back 23 million years. In Greece, the earliest traces of olive oil were found in Crete. Then olive oil spread in and beyond ancient Greece, remaining vital to Greek life through the centuries.
For years, the Olive Japan International Olive Oil Competition has been the largest olive oil contest in Asia and Oceania. Now, for its 2025-26 edition, Olive Japan is introducing Asia’s first international table olive contest, plus new early bird discounts. Of course, Olive Japan is continuing its extra virgin olive oil and flavored olive oil competitions.
The health benefits of the Mediterranean diet have earned it widespread fame, from social media and TV to cookbooks and conferences. For eight years, U.S. News & World Report’s panel of nutrition scientists and public health experts have ranked it the Best Diet Overall. Read on to learn what’s in it, who cares, why it matters, and what it can do for your health.
A Mediterranean diet conference drew globally acclaimed researchers to Kalamata, Greece October 13-14. They joined a multi-disciplinary group of professionals to discuss that traditional diet’s potential benefits for human and planetary health. Speakers called for the widespread adoption of plant-rich diets like the Mediterranean or Planetary Health Diet.
Cretan extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is now listed in the European Union’s official Geographical Indications Register of high-quality agricultural products and foods. The PGI Κρήτη / Kriti, or Protected Geographical Indication of Crete, serves to both highlight and protect Cretan EVOO’s unique characteristics and its close connection to the land of Crete.
Traditional Cretan food comes directly from farm to table for an authentic slow food experience at Dounias Taverna. Dounias offers a perfect marriage of agrotourism (or agritourism) and food tourism in a scenic, rustic setting. At this traditional Greek taverna, dishes from the Cretan diet revive the flavors of a time when Greeks lived closer to the land.
Laconiko is a family-owned Greek olive oil company built from generations of farming tradition. From the olive groves of Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece to kitchens in North America and Asia, the Pierrakos family blends heritage, sustainability, knowledge, love, and care to deliver extra virgin olive oil that nourishes families and preserves a precious legacy.
The North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA) announced the results of its 2024 Olive Oil Testing Program, the largest initiative of its kind ever conducted in the United States. The study found no adulteration in 190 samples of olive oil representing the top 15 brands (85% of the market) and 37 private label “store brands” bought in the U.S. and Canada.
Between the ancient olive groves of Olympia and the valleys of the Peloponnese, a new ecosystem was born. Not just a company or another brand. Rather, a movement with a mission to redefine what extra virgin olive oil means in the modern world. The Master Miller is where tradition meets science, nature meets transparency, and the producer meets the consumer.
In 2003, a wildfire propelled by strong, hot winds from Africa destroyed thousands of ancient olive trees in Crete. Destructive wildfires are tragically common in the dry Greek summers, but the response of one family who lost all their trees is inspiring. On their burnt land, they created the Botanical Park of Crete, a fruitful celebration of nature.
Discover the tastes, scents, and secrets of Greek olive oil at Laconiko’s olive oil tasting room and educational venue in Virginia. The public is welcome to visit, sample, and learn about the award-winning, healthy Greek extra virgin olive oil and flavored olive oil this family business brings to their temperature-controlled warehouse in the USA every year.
The 10th Olympia Health & Nutrition Awards ceremony for very healthy extra virgin olive oil took place in Athens on June 26. With this event, the non-profit World Olive Center for Health continued its efforts to promote high phenolic olive oil and its health benefits in 2025. Scientific advances were discussed, and award winners and donors were honored.
