At the Food Expo in Athens, conversations about Greek olive oil in 2026 reflected both optimism and unease. Despite deep concern about the global situation, the Expo fostered productive connections among new and established Greek and foreign businesses. Greek olive oil stood out throughout the event, echoing its central role in the traditional Greek diet.
The top reasons to buy Greek olive oil range from flavor, quality, and health benefits to a clear origin, sustainability, and tradition. For millennia, olive oil has been central to Greek culture, cuisine, and history. Now, this versatile treasure is widely available worldwide. If you’ve wondered “why choose Greek olive oil,” these benefits make it clear.
Entrepreneur Panagiotis Makris is revitalizing Lake Kremasta tourism and boosting the rural economy of the “Switzerland” of Greece. There, forested mountains capped with sometimes-snowy peaks surround the exquisite blue of one of the cleanest lakes in Europe. Once a hidden gem in Central Greece, Lake Kremasta is now admired by visitors from four continents.
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.
The benefits of high-quality extra virgin olive oil are always on the minds of its producers. Diamantis and Dino Pierrakos, makers of Laconiko Greek olive oil, and their wives, talked with Greek Liquid Gold in their U.S. headquarters. The Pierrakos family emphasized olive oil’s importance for everything from tradition and connection to cooking and health.
An olive oil polyphenol supplement tested on patients with metabolic syndrome significantly reduced blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, and more. A recent double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial has provided new evidence that the polyphenols naturally found in extra virgin olive oil can reduce several symptoms of metabolic syndrome (MetS).
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.
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.
