Akalli olive oil

The microclimate of Crete

You may wonder why we have three different olive oils at “All Greek to You”.
The answer is simple and it has to do with the effect of the regional microclimate.
Let’s say, you like the red wine Merlot. All Merlots are not the same. An Australian Merlot tastes so differently to a Merlot from Greece or Italy.
It’s the same principle with olive oils. Although it might be the same variety (in this case: Koroneiki), the microclimates in central Greece, Peloponnese and Crete are very different and because of that the three olive oils have different sensory properties. Our olive oil supplier from Crete is Akalli.

The history of the name Akalli

Akalli was the daughter of king Minoas, after whom the civilization that flourished in Crete during 2000 BC was named. According to the historian Thucydides, this was the first civilization to control the Mediterranean. The Minoan ships would sail to trade Cretan goods in exchange for valuable materials from other nearby civilizations. These goods consisted mostly of grains, herbs, dairy products, honey, wine and especially olive oil, which today constitute the diet commonly referred to as “Cretan” or “Mediterranean”. Olive oil, with its multiple health properties, is regarded as the most vital part of this diet.

The story of Akalli people

Zacharioudakis family, originating from Vori village is directly connected with olive oil production on the highland plain of Messara in the South of Crete which has a special micro climate – perfect for the cultivation of olives.
The two brothers Stelios and Manolis (with his sons Nikolas, Petros and wife Dijana), under the watchful eye of their father Nikolao, from an early age were taught the secrets of olive trees following the traditional way for the production of a special extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) from the centenarian Throubolia’s olive trees as well as the olive oil from the Koroneiki olive trees of south Crete. The great love and passion of the two brothers for their land and tradition united with the specific practice and experience in cultivation has given fruit to a high nutritional value EVOO with unique sensory properties.
The Akalli olive oils  are exellent EVOOs, with superior, which are produced from semi-mature olives from south Crete. The olives are picked very carefully and then separated, also with great care, from the leaves and from any inferior olives. The Akalli oils are produced only with mechanical support with environmental temperature in 25-27 degrees the same day of harvesting.
Mr Nikolaos Zacharioudakis, the head of the family, stresses that while they have the wonderful climate of the Messaria plain to help them, “there is still great skill and experience needed in the process of producing the best olive oil possible. This is something in which my family takes great pride.” The goodness and flavour of the olive oil comes as a result of many days of hard and precise work and is built on a foundation of generations of experience of growing and producing olive oil.

The Zacharioudakis family provide you with two unique EVOOs:
1. from the ancient Chontrolia (Throubolia) variety, that has been grown for centuries on the fringes of the Messara plain and it is found only in Crete and
2. from the variety Koroneiki – which can be found not only in Crete but also in other parts of Greece

Nutritional value of EVOO

EVOO is rich in heart-healthy fats, along with vitamins E and K.
A tablespoon (about 14 grams) of olive oil contains the following nutrients:
• Calories: 119
• Saturated fat: 14% of total calories
• Monounsaturated fat: 73% of total calories (mostly oleic acid)
• Polyunsaturated fat (PUFA): 11% of total calories
• Vitamin E: 13% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Vitamin K: 7% of the DV

EVOO is also a great source of antioxidants which are compounds that help fight inflammation and chronic disease. Its main antioxidants include the anti-inflammatory oleocanthal, as well as oleuropein, a substance that protects LDL (bad) cholesterol from oxidation and hence reduces inflammation.
In addition to its impressive antioxidant content, EVOO is loaded with monounsaturated fatty acids, a type of healthy fat that has been linked to several benefits.
It also contains a good amount of vitamins E and K in each serving. Vitamin E is an essential nutrient that acts as an antioxidant, while vitamin K plays a key role in bone health and it reduces blood clotting while improving heart health.

You can read more about the health promoting activities of olive oil and other components of the Mediterranean diet in this book.

Finally, Akalli olive oils have earned a number of awards as seen here.