It is well known that Greece is one of the largest olive oil producers in the world but maybe you didn’t know that it is the third-largest producer and that it has as many as 16 geographically protected types of olive oil. Also, Greeks consume by far the most olive oil in the world. One of the Halkidiki features is also a good quality olive oil.
The world olive oil market is full of low-quality or fake olive oil, and the difficult task for consumers is to recognize the quality and see if it is extra virgin olive oil or just a good or bad copy.
Experts say that almost 90% of olive oil on the market was not produced in the right way and that labels should not be trusted very easily.
They suggest not to trust any manufacturers but to test your olive oil. Open the bottle, put a little oil in a glass, and heat it, because at 27 degrees Celsius, the olive oil starts to evaporate and you can smell it and taste it much better.
Smell & taste – the first impresions are important
What you should feel is – the smell of freshly cut grass mixed with a fruity aroma, and spicy and bitter taste, even so much so that sometimes you might cough, and sometimes your eyes may tear.
If olive oil is green, fruity, spicy and bitter, we are talking about natural, unadulterated oil obtained from the olive fruit, no matter if it is produced in Greece, Italy or Morocco, it does not matter.
In Sithonia, you can buy real organic olive oil within the monastery of St. Ormilia near Psakoudia, and it is a monastery production. You can also buy very good olive oil from domestic production at different prices. Just try to avoid buying oil in transparent bottles.
In addition, contrary to some popular beliefs, we must stress that frying in olive oil is not carcinogenic if it is real olive oil, because it can withstand high temperatures. Even fries can be fried in it without problems, but it is not very profitable. A better idea would be to cut your potatoes in cubes, mix them with some vegetables and sprinkle them with olive oil, and put them in the oven. Bon appetite!
