Mithymna (Molyvos), Lesvos | 22530-71990

Olive Oil

Olive oil has been used for a great number of reasons since prehistoric times. Lesvos is renowned for the finest olive oil and the production of goods based on olive.
The whole island is covered with olive groves. The exquisite and fine in taste olive oil of Lesvos has been the main source of income for its inhabitants for years. This was the main reason for the expansion of olive presses, storage and packaging warehouses, soap making factories and agencies, which brought immense wealth and prosperity on the island.
Olive oil is low in cholesterol. It has fewer harmful and more beneficial properties in comparison to other vegetable oils. It is not only tasty but one of the most important ingredients in Mediterranean Diet.

OLIVE OIL CATEGORIES:
Virgin Olive-Oil is extracted from olives mechanically or with other processes, which however do not alter its basic properties. As a result, this is a product that retains the taste as well as the chemical and organic features of the olive. Virgin olive oil is divided into three different recognized levels of quality.
1. Extra virgin olive oil has the best taste and the level of acidity doesn’t get over 1%.
2. Moderate olive oil has a good taste and the levels of acidity don’t go over 3.3%
3. Strong olive oil has inadequate taste and the levels of acidity are over 3.3%.
Refined olive oil: It is oil coming from the processing of virgin olive oil, which is unsatisfactory for immediate consumption because of its inadequate taste or acidity. The result is a completely healthy and acceptable dietary product in spite of lacking the taste of virgin olive oil.
Olive oil: It derives from the fusion of refined olive oil and virgin olive oil. It is a market standardized product and its properties are somewhere between the ones of the two previous categories.

WORLD RENOWNED OLIVE OIL OF LESVOS:
It is difficult to imagine Lesvos without its olive groves shining under the fiery Greek light.
Apart from the sea no other gift of nature has been so closely related to the Greek way of living as the olive and olive oil has, sustaining so many civilizations from antiquity until today.
Lesvos is covered with eleven million olive trees spreading in an area of 465 square klm., with an average fruit production of 100,000 tones or 20,000 tones olive oil.
The Mitylene olive oil is a true gift of Lesvos nature due to its incomparable taste, elegant aroma and most nutritional properties. This world famous olive oil is an excellent source of energy and health as well as the basic ingredient of Mediterranean diet.
Two varieties of olive trees are cultivated on Lesvos. One of them called “Kolovi” covers 65% of the southeastern sides of the island. The second one called “Adramitini” covers 30% of the north and northeastern part of Lesvos. Only 5% of the island is covered by a variety called “Ladolia”. Both of the predominating varieties produce excellent olive oil very often used in Spanish or Italian olive oils to improve their taste.
As all other oils and fats, olive oil contains 9cal/gr. It is resistant to any kind of oxidation. The fact that it contains a balanced analogy of saturated and unsaturated acids constitutes it as the perfect nutritional element helping people avoid serious illnesses and live long.
The last few years more and more olive producers turn to the organic farming of olive trees producing excellent quality organic olive oil while winning many prizes in international olive oil competitions