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“Magical” is how we would describe our olive oil tasting in Crete.
At the base of Cretan cuisine is olive oil, which features prominently in the recipes of traditional food.
Olive oil is Crete’s finest export and cannot be missed when visiting this Greek island with a long history and proud inhabitants.
Since prehistoric times, olive oil has sustained the Greeks and it continues to be a part of every modern table.
To help us understand the nuances and cultural importance of the olive, we took an olive oil tasting in Chania, Crete.
This was a fascinating and informative experience of one of Crete’s richest treasures.
If visiting Crete is on your itinerary, here are five reasons why you want to have an immersive olive oil tasting experience.
Experience Olive Oil Tasting Crete
Guiding us through the long history of olive oil in Crete was Aspassia Stavoulaki, founder of Oliving in Crete.
A gastronomy expert of Cretan heritage, Aspassia is passionate about sharing the culture and history of Greek olive oil.
In the midst of a 2000-year-old monumental olive grove, we explored the importance of olive trees and olive oil.
In Crete, and most of Greece, the olive oil produced is the superior extra virgin olive oil. To help demonstrate how to match olive oil and food, the tasting experience included a pairing with Cretan food specialties.
With an unexpected visit by the olive grove’s owner and the beautiful natural environment, this was the perfect tasting experience.
This is truly an unmissable experience in Crete.
Authentic Food Quest Tip: Diving deep into Crete with an immersive olive oil tour is a wonderful way to experience the island. This olive oil tasting and Cretan food pairing class takes you on a culinary tour into one of the secrets of Cretan cuisine. For about 3 hours, you’ll immerse your senses into Cretan culinary culture and olive oil. Private and outdoors, you’ll keep safe under the shade of the olive trees. Find out more here.
1- Relax in an Amazing Ancient Olive Grove
To have the best olive oil tasting in Crete, context matters. There is nothing like sitting in the middle of century old olive trees and learning about Cretan olive oil.
In the open-air, private and relaxing atmosphere, you’ll enjoy views of the nearby mountains.
You will also tour the olive grove, and we had the unexpected good fortune of being accompanied by Manolis Psaroudakis, the owner.
While walking around admiring the intricate details of the olive trees and trunks, Manolis excitedly talked of growing up in the olive groves.
He proudly showed us trees he remembers growing up with and talked fondly about his father and grandfather.
His love for the olive trees was evident and being in his presence and feeling his joy was contagious.
Retrospectively he told us, “our heritage (Crete’s) is in these trees. They are not just mine, they belong to everyone.”
Consider Manolis words as an invitation to visit his olive grove.
When planning your Crete visit, be sure to plan for an olive oil tasting tour amongst these monumental olive trees.
2- Discover Fascinating History About Olives and Olive Oil
Since antiquity, the olive tree has played a very important role in the daily life of Greeks.
On the island of Crete, the cultivation of the olive trees can be traced back to the early Minoan civilization.
Using visual aids, Aspassia regaled us with stories about the importance of the olive tree and olives in Greece.
Tracing the history from the Minoan period to Roman times, the Byzantine era, all the way to the Ottoman occupation.
Even in modern times, we talked about the branches of olive trees used at Olympic games and the sacred nature of olive oil in religion.
One of our favorite stories was learning how the city of Athens got her name. According to Greek mythology, Olympian gods, Poseidon and Athena were competing to become patrons of Athens.
Challenged to give the people of Athens a gift that was truly valuable, Athena won with an olive tree over Poseidon’s salty water.
Learning the Cretan culinary culture and interesting historical facts kept us entertained.
And, you cannot pick a more perfect setting to learn about the glorious olive.
3- Enjoy a Surprising Olive Oil Tasting
Tasting and getting to know Cretan olive oils engages the senses. Aspasssia laid out blue olive oil tasting glasses and olive oils from different Cretan varieties of olives.
The tasting glasses we learned are colored blue to hide the olive oil color. The color is not relevant to the evaluation of olive oil allowing the focus to be on the taste.
“Olive oil tasting is more complicated than wine”, Aspassia told us, “it’s like mathematics.” You want to “concentrate on the smell, taste and other characteristics and not the color.”
Starting with the aromas and flavors, we learned how to warm up and swirl the glasses. This process opens up the oil allowing you to sniff the flavors.
After trying to identify the aromas, we tasted the oils feeling the bitterness and pungency spread around our tongues and throats.
Along each step of the way, Aspassia talked about the characteristics of the oils.
The Pamako extra virgin olive oil was an organic monovarietal olive oil from the Tsounati variety of olives.
And, the Skoutari, also an organic extra virgin olive oil from the Koroneiki olive variety.
We went back and forth tasting each variety noticing the subtle flavors even more.
Olive oil tasting is like a story, Aspassia told us. “There needs to be a beginning, some elements in the middle, balance, a little aggression, and a nice end.”
As we tasted the profiles of the extra virgin olive oils, we each found our own story amongst the varieties.
4- Discover How To Pair Olive Oil With Food
Olive oil and the Cretan diet are inextricably linked. And, pairing Cretan olive oil with traditional Cretan specialties was the most delicious part of the experience.
For the food pairing, Apassia prepared a selection of dishes with different taste profiles. The idea is to discover the impact of olive oil on taste.
On foods that don’t have a lot of taste like broccoli, you want a nice strong olive oil. Compared to fish where a mild olive oil is preferred.
It was really interesting tasting the nuances on different kinds of salads like dakos and black eyed pea salad.
What was even more fascinating was the impact of taste by each of the olive oil varieties.
As we ate and tasted the different Cretan olive oils, we talked about the wonders of the Cretan diet.
A wealth of knowledge, Aspassia talked about the Cretan diet versus the Mediterranean diet and Crete’s rich culinary culture.
When you learn to pair olive oil with traditional Cretan food, you get a deeper appreciation for the interaction of flavors.
5- Learn How to Buy and Cook With Olive Oil
Cooking with olive oil is misunderstood even though it is used widely in salads, pastas and more.
Taking an olive oil tasting in Crete with an expert gives you the opportunity to ask questions and learn new tips.
Unlike wine, Aspassia told us, “olive oil does not age”. It is best consumed fast and fresh.
Learning about light and heat, the two enemies of olive oil, gave us a new perspective for buying and storing olive oil.
You’ll be surprised just how much information the label holds and why origin greatly matters.
Cretan extra virgin olive oil is found in almost all dishes regardless of whether they are fried, cooked or baked.
You will learn about cooking with olive oil including the benefits of the stable extra virgin olive oil.
Highly personable, friendly and warm, you can ask Aspassia anything about olive oil.
In addition to being an expert on Cretan olive oil, she is also well-traveled and can talk about olive oil from different countries.
No matter your level of understanding of olive oil, you’ll leave more confident in buying, tasting, and cooking with it.
AUTHENTIC FOOD QUEST RECIPE: Have you ever tried olive oil in dessert? Try this simple recipe for Greek honey cookies and taste the irresistible combination of olive oil and sweets.
How To Book Your Olive Oil Tasting Crete
Book your olive oil tasting Crete with Aspassia of Oliving in Crete, for an immersive and authentic experience.
Location: The olive tasting takes place in Pigi village which is easily accessible from Chania and Rethymno, Crete.
Olive Oil Tour Crete: All the tours are private and you can choose either a morning tour (10:30 am) or evening tour that starts between 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Included is a 4-course degustation menu pairing with different olive oils.
Cost: €80.00 (approx. $97) per adult. Price for children 12 and younger, €50.00 (approx. $63) per child.
Languages: Tours hosted in English, French and Greek
In Summary
Immersing yourself into the Crete’s rich culinary history is best expressed with an olive oil tasting.
In the open air nestled amongst ancient olive trees, you’ll have an unforgettable experience.
Aspassia will make you feel right at home as you dive into the history, culture and nuances of Cretan olive oil.
The conversation will be enriching and the setting extraordinary.
The experience will leave you much more knowledgeable, well-fed, and empowered to buy and cook with olive oil.
Read More Local Food Experiences
Food in Crete – Your Guide To The Best Authentic Food on the Island
Why Thyme Honey From Crete is One of The Best in The World
Learn About Cretan Olive Oil Production With Top Producer Terra Creta
Kalitsounia Recipe – How To Make Simple Cretan Cheese Pies
6 of The Best Wineries in Crete To Enjoy Indigenous Wines From Greece
14 of the Best Chania Restaurants to Delight in Authentic Cretan Food
Rosemary is the editor-in-chief and strategist at Authentic Food Quest.
Traveling slow since 2015 with her partner, Claire, she has explored the cuisine in 45 countries and more than 240+ culinary cities.
Her writing about local food specialties has been featured in Lonely Planet, Business Insider, Honest Cooking, Food Insider, and Huffington Post.
As a food and travel writer, Rosemary has co-authored three books, including one in collaboration with Costa Brava Tourism.
Rosemary is an avid runner when she’s not eating and exploring new destinations. She has run ten marathons and counting.
Before Authentic Food Quest, Rosemary held senior-level strategy positions in advertising.
Find out more about Authentic Food Quest
Interesting article Rosemary! This is how local flavors, culture and cuisine make visiting new places an exciting prospect. The emergence of Tuscan cuisine in America has made olive oil highly popular in food items and households.
Thank you Robert, and so glad you enjoyed the article. Yes, local flavors, culture, and cuisine make travel fascinating. Interesting to about Tuscan cuisine and the popularity of olive oil. There is something to be said for Mediterranean flavors…thanks for stopping by.
Oh wow! This is so exciting! I would love to try this olive oil tasting in Crete! I can’t wait!
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed reading about the olive oil tasting.
That sounds like a fun and very delicious way to spend an afternoon with friends. I didn’t know there were so many types of olive oils
It truly is a wonderful experience to learn about different types of olive oil. Highly recommend it for sure. Cheers.
This sounds like it could be a lot of fun. I’d love to do this as well. It is always fun trying out different things.
Oh, wow! I didn’t know that’s a thing. Sounds interesting! I love using olive oil in my cooking.
Glad you enjoyed the article. What kind of olive oil do you currently use? Cheers.
I learned a lot from this post, definitely my first time learning about it and its history. Now I want to try out the recipes you share too. Let’s see how will it go. Hopefully booking the tour too.
Great to hear, Anosa. And, excited for you to try new olive oils too. Hope you make it to Crete soon.
I agreed! Cooking like this is better and I like it more because to me it taste more.
Agree 100% Gervin, better taste and better for you. Can’t go wrong with that. Cheers.
Knowing how passionate he was with his olive trees, makes me think that he has the best olive oils in the world.
YUM! Count me in! This looks amazing! I would love to experience all the olive oils!
This is something new I can put on my bucket list. I’d love to know more about pairing olive oil with my food.
A worthy experience for sure. Hope you get to do an olive oil tasting soon. Cheers, Alison.
I really love olive oil in most of my dishes, that’s why I enjoyed reading this article so much.
Ahh…thank you so much Nikki. Really appreciate your feedback. Have you ever tried Greek olive oil? Cheers.
This seems like a tour that is really enjoyable! I am fascinated by the size of the ancient trees, I would love to see them in person.
Thanks, Beth. Glad you enjoyed the article and hope you can get to Crete soon for this experience. Cheers.
This sounds like such an amazing experience. I would love to do something like this.
Seems like a fun existence. I would love to try it if I ever get the chance to. Thanks for sharing!
This would be such a cool experience. I admit I don’t know much about olive oil.
This would be a fun experience. I love using olive oil in my cooking so having different ones would be awesome