Olive oil, honey and wine FROM THE HOLY MOUNTAIN ATHOS

Welcome to the name of Mount Athos Nature Reserve. It is characterized by its unique ecosystem, which is based on over 1000 years of pristine nature and has therefore remained free from environmental pollution and spared from human interference. The pride of the region is the olive grove, home to around 4,000 olive trees, the oldest of which are up to 800 years old. The monks of the large, holy monastery of Vatopedi produce high-quality extra virgin olive oil from the olives that are harvested here. The area around the monastery also offers beautiful vineyards and excellent beekeeping.

The monks take great care of the plants and bees of the nature reserve every day. Thanks to the combination of modern techniques with traditional know-how and proven expertise, they are able to produce certified, high-quality organic products, which we offer in our online shop.
The first-class organic quality of our products from Mount Athos makes them incomparably delicious. Our variety of products ranges from native olive oil, honey and various aromatic herbs to wine.

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Mount Athos

The holy Mount Athos rises at over 2,000 meters above sea level on the easternmost foothills of the Halkidiki peninsula, south-east of the Greek port city of Thessaloniki. Here is an orthodox monastic republic with autonomous status, which today with its twenty monasteries is part of the UNESCO World Heritage. 

The beginnings of the monastic culture on Mount Athos can be found more than a thousand years ago, when Christian Orthodox monks settled in this region. Today, around 2,000 of them live here in harmony with nature, characterized by breathtaking landscapes with picturesque bays and crystal clear waters, inhabited by a variety of wild flowers and herbs, as well as wild animals, birds and insects.

In addition to their religious obligations, the monks devote themselves to the flora and fauna of the nature reserve and study art woodcarving and calligraphy, make candles come and practice weaving and painting.

In addition, they farm a total of around 1,100 hectares of arable land, which is certified organic, and deal with the production of native olive oil, natural honey and tasty wine.

If you want to visit the monasteries to experience the everyday life of the monks away from the modern world, you need a special visa, which is issued by the police of Ouranoupolis. Only 120 male visitors are admitted per day, of which only ten are allowed to come from abroad.

You should plan your visit to Mount Athos, which is the most important pilgrimage site of Orthodox Christians after Jerusalem, accordingly with wise foresight.

Among other things, visitors are rewarded with an indescribable view from the top of the mountain, as well as the fantastic architecture of the monasteries and a glass full of delicious wine.

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the production

At the beginning of October, the harvest time for olives in the Mediterranean begins. Until the end of December, sometimes even in January, the monks of Mount Athos carefully harvest the fruits of the huge olive trees around the monasteries. Since the care taken in harvesting determines the quantity and quality of the oil, the olives are still picked by hand. Both speed and gentle handling of the precious fruit are essential, because if the skin of the olive is no longer intact or if the natural degradation process starts, this has a negative effect on the oil quality. The freshly harvested olives become one immediately after harvesting with the cold pressing process processed with precious oil. This is an important process to obtain low-acid oil. To do this, the fruits are first washed and crushed to create a fruit pulp. From this, a liquid consisting of oil and amniotic fluid is obtained by mechanical pressing. After this mixture has been separated from the remaining fruit pulp in a so-called decanter using a centrifuge, the oil is also separated from the fruit water using a centrifuge. Compared to the traditional pressing on millstones between mats of straw, this modern process is not only more hygienic, but also produces oils of higher quality.

olive oil for cooking

Oil obtained from olives can be used universally in the kitchen. It gives every dish, from the simple to the unusual, that certain something that characterizes Mediterranean cuisine. 

Due to the ideal composition of the fats in virgin olive oil and extra virgin olive oil, they can be heated up to 180°C without losing valuable properties. 

Even small amounts of olive oil refine the taste of sauces, soups and cooked vegetables and give your dishes the finishing touch. 

Refine fresh salads with aromatic olive oil. The oil should be at room temperature so that it can combine with the other ingredients more quickly.

Before frying, marinate fish and meat with olive oil along with garlic and some herbs. This makes your dishes extra tender and delicious.

Olive oil for your health

About 2,800 years ago, the Greek poet Homer described oil obtained from olives as the most important food in Mediterranean cuisine. In the meantime, numerous scientific studies have proven what the people of the Mediterranean region have suspected or seemed to know for thousands of years: The consumption of olive oil is not only convincing in terms of taste, but also has health benefits. In particular, freshly pressed, green extra virgin olive oil is said to be extremely healthy. This is due to the many high-quality and essential minerals and trace elements that are found in it. It also contains vitamin E, which protects the body's cells from damage caused, for example, by aggressive oxygen compounds, also known as free radicals. This protective effect and the resulting effect of slowing down cell aging can also be used for skin care by applying the oil to the skin as a thin layer.
With oil from olives, the need for monounsaturated fatty acids is also covered in a tasty way. These ensure a reduction in the “bad” cholesterol in the body, while unlike the polyunsaturated fatty acids in other vegetable oils, they do not affect the “good” cholesterol.
Thanks to the oil, people in the Mediterranean region are most likely less likely to develop Alzheimer's, depression, arteriosclerosis, heart attacks and strokes. In addition, the consumption of oil from olives can help protect against various types of cancer.

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