As the name suggests, Terra Creta Greek olive oil is produced exclusively on the island of Crete. The company was founded in the Souda region of Chania, Crete, in 2001, and has since expanded and moved to Kolymvari in the western part of the island. While the Greek olive oil brand produces a range of oils, including PDO, PGI, cold-pressed, and organic extra virgin olive oil, they all have one aspect in common: respect for the natural properties of Cretan olives. The enviable quality of Terra Creta products has earned the brand more than eight awards in both international and Greek olive oil competitions.
Types of Greek Olives
There are two types of Greek olives Terra Creta uses to produce their award-winning extra virgin olive oil: Koroneiki and Tsounato. Koroneiki olives are the most abundant Greek olives in the region, and they produce a delicate, fruity, and aromatic olive oil. The brand’s Estate product line is made exclusively from 100% Koroneiki variety olives. The second type is the Tsounato variety, which is less internationally known, but is a cherished favorite of the island locals.
The Traceable Olive Oil
Terra Creta is very proud of the millennia of history behind Greek olive oil production. They honor this great Greek tradition by harvesting their olives solely by hand — a labor intensive process that takes more time for a lower yield, but ensures fresher, more delicate tasting oil. The olives are processed at the mill the same day they are harvested to retain their natural nutrients, distinctive flavors, and low acidity. (This is especially true of their cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil.)
The experts at Terra Creta believe every olive and every tree is significant, which is why they provide an incredible amount of transparency and traceability of the olives that go into their fine olive oil. In fact, customers can enter a product’s five-digit lot number on Terra Creta’s Traceability Tree webpage to find detailed information about when and where their oil’s olives were harvested, down to the very grove!
