Ikariotiko elaiolado

One of the culinary delights of the Greek island of Ikaria is the island's olive oil. Unlike most Greek olive oils which use the koroneiki olive variety, this one is made from a local variety of olives known as hondroelia or fat olives.

The olive oil season typically begins at the end of October and lasts until February, and all of the olives that are being harvested for oil production come from family-owned olive groves. Traditionally, people carry their olive harvests to the local olive press in the village of Chrysostomos, which is considered the island's main area of olive growing and olive oil production.

With a recognizable color, somewhere between dark green and yellow, Ikarian olive oil is distinguished by a slightly heavier and denser flavor, and has a more solid consistency than the ones produced from koroneiki olives. The oil's flavor depends on the olives' ripeness, and it usually ranges from fruity, peppery, and pungent when the olives are unripe, to slightly more acidic when they're ripe.

Olive oil is at the core of the Ikarian people's diet, and it is used in nearly every dish, be it sweet or savory. The oil is mostly consumed unheated, which allows it to retain its beneficial properties. Ikarian olive oil is produced only for local consumption, and its abundant use is often associated with the remarkable longevity of Ikarian people.