November… in Greece the season for picking olives; deeply rooted in my husband Nikos’ subconscious. You see, he is Cretan, and enormously proud of his descent. My father-in-law knew every single tree that he owned by sight, whether that was on the edge of the road or on top of a hill. Not all olive trees grow in groves… some are harder to reach.
In Montofoli our main variety is called Aivaliotissa, as most of the olives in Karystos. The pruning and picking are done by hand. It is very hard work! If you are in town at the time, we invite you to join us. We are usually working for a couple of days, depending on the weather. Afterwards, following tradition, we prepare a big batch of loukoumades for our workers and a glass of wine.
Needless to say, our olive oil is a fine specimen representative of Karystos and a great accompaniment for your Mediterranean dishes.