Ἄναξ
Anax
Olive Oil's History
Ancient and modern Greek farm workers in olive groves. Three thousand years tradition.
The history of olive oil is deeply entrenched in the ancient Greek culture. Since then and up until now, olive oil is considered to be the "Anax" (“the King”) of healthy nutrition. For thousands of years, olive oil has played a pivotal role in the nutrition as well as the life of the ancient Greeks as it was an essential product of their daily diet.
However, it is not only a product to be consumed but, at the same time, it has a spiritual nature. For centuries olive oil did not only feed but, also, enlightened the darkness of humanity, since the oil lamp illuminated the nights of people as well as their souls.
In the ancient Greek culture, the Olympic Champions were crowned with the olive wreath. In addition, the athletes of the Olympic Games and the Ancient Greek warriors coated their bodies with olive oil; the former before the Games and the latter before the battles and they healed their wounds with it.
Olive trees have been cultivated for thousands of years in Greece. Nowadays, our family keeps this ancient Greek tradition alive, cultivating a small olive grove in North Greece. We know our trees one by one, “by their names”. We sing and talk to our trees; we ask them about their problems and they respond, so that we can swiftly cater their needs. Thus, by loving and caring about them, we complete the annual cycle of producer’s life while reaching the peak of our production around the end of October.
Then, our olive grove rewards us with an explosion of a high-quality production of olive fruit, which is transformed through the so-called method of “cold extraction” in to olive oil. Immediately after the process has been completed, we imprison it in bottles, only few hours after the harvest, so that you taste it extra virgin and pure. This is our circle of life, simple, blissful and blessed.