Today’s post is all about Greek products.

I stumbled across two wonderful companies recently on social media. One that specializes in Cretan delicacies, and the other that specializes in beautiful Greek olive oil. Greece, being one of the top 3 olive oil-producing countries in the world! Did you know that? Some Italian olive oils contain Greek olives!! (I will leave this topic for another post one day.)

Let’s talk a little bit about Greek products first. What are my top favorite Greek ingredients?! Honey, fresh spices, olive oil is a main staple in my cooking, and lemon. I couldn’t go anywhere without these four ingredients, especially olive oil. I am very picky with what olive oil I use, and most likely I am using an extra virgin olive oil that comes from Greece. Yep, I am a huge supporter of Greek olive oil companies from Greece. If you have been following my blog for sometime, you will notice that I do product review posts, mainly on products from Greece.

Greek Olives 

There are hundreds of different olive varieties in Greece.  Ranging from the famous Kalamata olives, Koroneiki, Tsakistes, and much more.  The olive oil can range from a mild all the way up to a spicy flavor depending on what region of Greece the olives come from. I really enjoy exploring many different types of Greek olive oil, and you should explore too. I should refrain myself from dipping the bread into the olive oil, but I literally grew up with this since I was a little child. Once I see olive oil, I need bread!

Producing olive oil in  Greece is a fine art to me. The reason I say this is because the hard work and love that goes into the entire process. Over the past year or so, I spoke to many different Greek olive oil family farms, and one thing they all had in common… PASSION.  Passion to successfully produce, and sell their beautiful oil around the world.  Whether it is from Corfu, Athens, Mani, Crete, Zakynthos, or Messalonghi the oil is truly unique & delicious. Today we are focusing on one unique olive oil from Messolonghi, Greece. Please welcome Kakkavos Estate, Green from Greece olive oil.

Meet Takis Papachristos, manager of Kakkavos Estate olive farm.  Takis msg me on Facebook asking me to kindly give his olive oil a try in some of my recipes.  Takis then sent me a beautiful bottle of olive oil, called Green from Greece extra virgin olive oil. I just made two recipes with this olive oil, one of which I will share within this post.  (Grecian Banana Nut Bread & Zucchini Chips.)

Kakkavos Estate Olive Farm History

Kakkavos’ plantation located in’ Mesokampos” Messolonghi, five kilometers away from the city. It is an area of about 400 acres. In this plantation, there are different species of olives (koronaiikes, kalamon and koutsouroelies) local olives, wild olive trees and a smaller number of pear, lemon and fig trees. We do sell a variety of amazing fresh products on our website. You can find our products here>> Kakkavos Products.

If you plan to visit Kakkavos Estate, you should stay at this beautiful 3 star boutique filled with 110 rooms.  Theoxenia Hotel located in a beautiful environment surrounded with wildlife, historical sites to see and much more.  Check out the official website for more information.  (Theoxenia Hotel Website)

Messolonghi has a lot of natural beauty close by (salt marsh, lagoon, wetland), 2 rivers, ancient sites & historical places.  This area is known for its special culinary delicacies such as fish, eel, roe, meat, pies and much more. November is harvesting of the olives, and Kakkavos Estate is opening their beautiful olive farm to tourists to see production. Production only available through the months of November- December. Please email directly to http://www.ktimakakkavos.gr/ for questions.

For the foodies who plan to travel to Greece this coming Summer, head out to Messolonghi lagoon to watch how the roe is prepared and how salt is produced.

Photos Credits: Theoxenia Hotel 

Green from Greece Olive Oil 

Kakkavos Estate has been around since 1870 and has recently decided to expand & revive its cultivating potentials, by using scientific methods, with respect to tradition, the olive trees & the environment. The farm produces several different kinds of olive oil, as well as olives, fruits & honey.

Green from Greece is included in the very special category of ULTRA PREMIUM EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, is produced only from early harvest olives & only by the best producing oil variety KORONEIKI in a certified dual face olive oil mill located near the groves, using cold extraction 22° C by mechanical means only, unfiltered, immediately after the daily harvest and stored in stainless steel tanks in oxygen free environment.

Product is protected from sunlight, in serially numbered, dark-colored certified glass bottle DORICA and released in 500ml & 250ml versions. We have actual chemical parameters on nutritional label on bottle and final quality test before shipping.  Each bottle of Green from Greece Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil has a unique serial number.

Questions/ Comments~

Please contact Takis Papachristou directly for any questions. You can also visit the official websites below.

http://www.greenfromgreece.gr/

http://www.ktimakakkavos.gr/

See below for a delicious banana nut bread made with Green from Greece olive oil & Cretan thyme honey. Stay tuned in Friday for a post on Saviolakis family Cretan Honey.

Grecian Banana Nut Bread Recipe

By: Kouzounas Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/3 cup Green from Greece olive oil 
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup of Coconut milk, or milk of choice
• 1/2 cup Cretan Thyme Honey 
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch sea salt
• 1 Tablespoon flax seed
• Optional: Chopped walnuts

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 330 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, honey, milk, and eggs. Add the mashed bananas, and whisk to combine.
2. In another bowl, add the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and gently fold in the nuts.
3. Pour batter into a large greased loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the pan cool before cutting the bread.
4. Serve with Cretan thyme honey over the top.

Kali Orexi!!