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They ate sizzling wild greens and scrambled asparagus, dipped in oil from the jammers’ pan, and picked blueberries as they wandered through the liostasi. These are just some of the experiences of the foreign visitors who attended the workshop Harvest and Grove Experience at the LIÁ Olive Oil Hub of Christina Stribakou, in Filiatra, Messinia. “We offer experiential workshops to travelers with the theme of olive oil, a trademark product of our region,” clarifies Ms. Stribakou. She has been certified as an olive oil taster by the competent body in Italy and has been participating as an olive oil judge in international competitions since 2014. The interested parties are people of all ages, mostly foreigners, Americans and secondarily Europeans.
Among centuries-old trees
The first part of the program focuses on contact with nature. “We are walking through our olive grove, which includes 2,500 roots,” describes Ms. Stribakou, who offers the tour in English and Italian. The process is revealing for the American participants. “It is the first time they are in a “traditional” olive grove. Here every tree is at least 100 years old and at the same time on small-scale properties; they are familiar either with vast plantations in their homeland or with large areas in Spain, where there is intensive exploitation of young trees.” Hence, she is often asked “How many workers do you employ?” causing her to laugh.
Next to the olive trees, visitors can observe the inexhaustible biodiversity: the oleanders, the asparagus, the horseradish, the radishes and the rest of the wild grasses, which coexist harmoniously with the olive, as well as aromatic plants. “They are surprised that all these are natural, that we have not cultivated them, and they are even more surprised by my move to cut them. I explain to them that I will cook them.” Just like her mom did, she’ll make a pie with the caucalithres and serve the oobres boiled with oil and lemon, for everyone to eat together later. “I find myself unconsciously replicating many rituals of Greek hospitality,” he says.
Marketing blurs the picture
“In the second part we go to the olive oil tasting. Here we deal exclusively with olive oil from the Greek territoire”, clarifies Mrs. Stribakou, who expertly sets the characteristic blue glasses on the table. He will fill them with extra virgin olive oil from the Koroneiki variety, Megaritiki, Manaki (from Argolis), Amfissis (from Delphi) and Makris (from Evros). Afterwards, they heat the glasses, smell and taste the contents. “I encourage them to smell the oil, just like we do with wine before we drink it,” he points out. “The only practical way to understand the quality characteristics of an oil is through its smell and taste: fruity is perceived in the smell, while bitter and spicy are revealed in the taste and aftertaste.” Wanting to do a test, he procures from the supermarket an olive oil labeled extra virgin. “In fact, when we taste it, we find that it does not meet the criteria for this category.”
Thus, it becomes clear that the consumer should not rely only on the labels of a bottle even of high aesthetics. “Marketing and misinformation are endemic in the industry; the way in which unfiltered olive oil is promoted in California flea markets is illustrative,” says Stribakou. It is sold as “healthy unfiltered olive oil” the same oil that most of us get in tins from the village. “I try to explain to them that unfiltered oil is bad practice, it’s done to save time and out of a lack of knowledge, and it will develop defects along the way. If they happen to buy fresh unfiltered oil, they should make sure to filter it immediately. I strongly recommend that they prefer filtered olive oil.” Another common misconception concerns the “burning” on the palate when consuming oil. “Many people think it’s a sign of poor quality, but the opposite is true: it’s linked to polyphenols, which are extremely beneficial for our bodies.”
“Marketing and misinformation are endemic in the industry; the way unfiltered olive oil is promoted in California is illustrative.” ―Christina Stribakou, Harvest and Grove Experience
After the tasting is over, the moment everyone is waiting for arrives: that of the homemade food. “The first shock comes when they realize I cooked with extra virgin olive oil,” he says with a laugh. “Even connoisseurs use olive oil only in salads. For cooking, they prefer sunflower or coconut oil and avocado, because they are convinced of their benefits. However, they often ignore the important benefits of olive oil.” The fellow diners will try a variety of oily dishes with seasonal vegetables: stuffed, briam, giants in the oven, fava beans with oil, pies and country style, which the hostess combines with Roditis. All of them have traveled several kilometers to the olive grove here: they have rented a car and come from Kalamata or Pylos, they are people who are interested in expanding their knowledge and have attended corresponding workshops, as a rule, in Italy, where culinary tourism is highly developed.
Italy as a model
Italy, where Mrs. Stribakou studied Art History before turning all her energy to the olive tree, was an inspiration in the management of the cultural capital “olive oil”. “I collaborate with Antonio Lauro, a well-known Italian tastemaker, on educational programs,” he says. At the same time, it hosts in Greece foreign professionals who are active in food imports and exports, catering and sales. The “worship” that Europeans especially have for any Italian product, when it is, in fact, related to nutrition, is a common secret. The Italian culinary culture has therefore gained an undisputed place in all markets, but the Greek one remains largely unknown. “We organize different structured training programs for these groups. The aim is for them to get to know Greek olive oil and the culinary culture that accompanies it – from the olive picking to the olive press. This is how they find out for themselves that the process is done correctly”, she concludes.
The Mediterranean diet is gaining ground
“The majority of people, unfortunately, follow a Western diet that tends to contain highly processed foods,” notes Stefanos Kalis, professor of Medicine and Public Health at Harvard. “Those who are aware of nutrition, however, wish to follow the habits of our grandparents and great-grandparents, who in order to survive ate what their land generously offered them.” Our ancestors, unconsciously and out of necessity, followed a Mediterranean diet, before it was recognized as a category and distinguished for its comparative benefits. So “concerned” consumers want to eat like they used to, but they lack the know-how. “My grandmother used to go regularly and cut grass from the mountain. Today, this is a technique that few people in urban centers know; how to distinguish, for example, the types of edible greens, how to remember the season when they grow, but also how to cook them properly,” he comments.
The expatriate professor has been researching the benefits of the Mediterranean diet for over 20 years, while he is one of the pioneers of the Mediterranean Diet and Health organization. “These experiential seminars come to cover this gap, which is why their value is multiplicative,” he adds from the US, where he gradually notices more and more products from Greece on the shelves of supermarkets. “Even the program of scientific conferences on the subject of the Mediterranean diet we are now trying to adapt to its philosophy: meals during the breaks based on the principles we advocate in our presentations, but also a schedule where there is space for a midday siesta and contact with nature.”
Weapon against diabetes
The study was published a few days ago PREDIMED-Pluswhich demonstrates that, when the Mediterranean diet is combined with moderate caloric control, regular physical activity, and professional support for weight loss, it can significantly reduce the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes in people with overweight, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. “This study highlights something very important, namely that the Mediterranean diet is not just a dietary model, but an integrated lifestyle,” comments Anna Papageorgiou, clinical dietician-nutritionist and physical education teacher. “A high intake of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, olive oil, nuts, fish, and herbs helps improve insulin sensitivity, reduce chronic low-grade inflammation, regulate body weight, and improve lipid profile,” she says. “When exercise is added, especially walking and muscle strengthening, the effect is enhanced, because the consumption of glucose by the muscles increases and the metabolic flexibility of the body is improved.”
But the benefits of the Mediterranean diet are not limited to diabetes, as it has now been proven to be linked to better cardiovascular health and blood pressure regulation, a possible protective effect on cognitive health and brain aging. “The important thing is not only the reduction of the risk itself, but the way in which it was achieved”, underlines Mrs. Papageorgiou. “This is not a strict diet or a temporary restriction, but a comprehensive intervention with quality nutrition, reducing energy intake by about 600 calories per day, increasing physical activity such as brisk walking and strength training, and behavioral support for gradual weight loss.” That’s how the study participants lost more weight and reduced their waist circumference more, a key indicator of central obesity and metabolic risk. “Type 2 diabetes is closely associated with insulin resistance, increased visceral fat, chronic low-grade inflammation, and reduced metabolic flexibility,” he recalls. “The Mediterranean diet is protective, precisely because it is rich in foods with biological value: extra virgin olive oil, vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, fish, nuts, aromatic herbs and natural sources of antioxidants and polyphenols,” concludes Ms. Papageorgiou.
