Year after year, the aim of World Environment Day is giving a face to environmental issues while making people active agents of fair and sustainable development; raising the awareness on the importance of community in environmental action; promoting partnerships to ensure a safe, thriving future for nations and populations.
The Mories Team is particularly glad to present to you members of our organization deeply involved with the care of nature.
In this respect, let’s meet EFKRATO, a Premium Organic Early Harvest Olive Oil which originates from Crete, Greece and is produced exclusively from an ancient local variety called “Tsounati”.
EFKRATO’s producers are well aware of the importance of sustainable farming and its significant social, ecological and economic impact. They have a loving and respectful relationship with the olive grove that generously gives them back not only its fruit, but also snails (one of the most preferred delicacies of the traditional Cretan cuisine), wild grasses (fennel, native capers, wild asparagus) etc.
EFKRATO cooperates with myClimate in order to calculate and compensate for any CO2 emissions related to its production. Part of its revenues is offered to myClimate and they are used for projects related to the reduction of the CO2 emissions in various parts of the world.
The way they work with nature is of great importance and a key component of EFKRATO’s identity. As a result, the cultivation methods they use are stricter than those of organic farming and practically impossible to apply in large scale production of olive oil.
The olives are selected by hand, one by one, and only those in excellent condition are used in the production of EFKRATO.
Olive oil extraction is done every day, less than 6.5 hours after harvest and only the batches with the best organoleptic characteristics are bottled.
The main way of fertilization of their small family olive groves is a “cooperation” with horses and sheep that provide organic manure in exchange for wild grasses while reducing the release of CO2. They take advantage of leguminous plants for nitrogen fixation in the soil rather than using artificial fertilisers. These plants coexist harmoniously with the olive trees and do not allow the depletion of soil nutrients which is often the case with monocultures. Even chemicals approved for organic farming are avoided.
Harvesting takes place before the fruits ripen, in order to produce what the ancient Greeks called “ωμοτριβές” (early harvest olive oil), which from ancient times was considered the most nutritious olive oil.
Modern scientific studies confirm this belief: Polyphenols, the antioxidants contained in large quantities in early harvest olive oils such as EFKRATO, have many health related properties.
EFKRATO contains much more polyphenols than the limit allowing for a health claim to be made (according to Regulation 432/2012 of the European Union).
(Olive oils that contain more than 5 mg per 20 gr belong to the category of oils that protect the blood lipids from oxidative stress. The daily consumption of 20 g of EFKRATO provides 21.7 mg of hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol or their derivatives. It should be noted that oleocanthal and oleacein present important biological activity and they have been related with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cardioprotective and neuroprotective activity.)
But EFKRATO is also an award winning gourmet product that harmoniously combines the bitterness and pungency of early harvest olive oils with aromas of green fruits, artichokes, green peppers, freshly cut grass, etc.
It is the optimized form of the same pure olive oil its producers grew up with.
They invite us to enjoy the health benefits and experience the gastronomic pleasure offered by their unique EVOO,
produced in harmony with the environment, as has been the case since antiquity in Crete.
They invite us to discover how a small quantity of EFKRATO can transform a dish into an extraordinary gastronomic experience.
Enjoy a summer dish accompanied with EFKRATO:
Bruschetta with fresh mozzarella and tomato jam
Origin and the inspiration behind the name and label
The cultivation of olives in Crete started 4000 BC ago, while the consumption of olives much earlier. The ancient varieties such as Tsounati are in their ideal environment here. Inevitably the olive tree and olive oil are basic elements of the identity of the place and a basic element of the Cretan diet. The annual consumption per person in Crete is by far the highest in the world (well above 20 kg).
EFKRATO can be seen as the result of the joined influence of the micro-climate in the area of northern Rethymno in Crete, Greece, the wind that reaches from the Cretan sea, the clay soil and the abundant sunshine that ensures the location of the olive grove on the slope of a coastal hill at an altitude of about 55 meters.
All the above in combination with the abstract form of the olive leaf and olive fruit provide the inspiration and comprise the synthesis of EFKRATO’s label.
The ideal combination of factors such as the geographical location, the climate, the Tsounati variety but also the necessary treatment and care, is concentrated in the name “EFKRATO”. This ancient Greek word (“εύκρατο”) consists of the components “εὖ”+ “κεράννυμι” where the second means to mix, to combine, to regulate the temperature, and “εὖ” indicates the good property of the other synthetic.
It is interesting that in Greek the word “wine” (“κρασί”), with which olive oil has so much in common, is a related word.
Respectful of the environment, beneficial for your health and so delicious!
Conserving and cultivating the olive tree is of growing importance as the world combats and adapts to climate change. The protection of cultural and natural heritage, including landscapes, is at the heart of many organizations and a mission to Mories too.
Marking the World Environment Day is especially significant as it reinforces environmental sustainability efforts.
Visit EFKRATO at:
webpage: www.efkrato.gr
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/EFKRATO
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/efkrato/
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