Description
The Peza Irakliou Kritis PDO is an extra-virgin olive oil made from olives of the variety Koroneiki from the region of Heraklion.
Production Area
The production area of the extra-virgin olive oil Peza Irakliou Kritis PDO is within the administrative boundaries of the municipal areas of Aghios Vassilios, Aghies Paraskies, Alagnio, Astraki, Astritsi, Myrtia, Kalloni, Katalagari, Kounavi, Melesses, Panorama, Patsideros, Peza, Choudetsi, Metaxochori, Tefelio in Heraklion, Crete.
Production Method
The gathering of the olives takes place when the fruits are ripe. The gathering method is the "beating", which takes place with the help of small wooden sticks, or the "jolting" with small machines that jolt the trunk and the branches. In both cases, the olives fall on the nets places at the base of the tree. Once placed inside plastic baskets or natural bags holding 27 kg or 50 kg, the gathered olives are taken to the oil mill for pressing. The pressing of the olives cleaned from gathering residues takes place in classic or centrifuging oil mills that guarantee the best processing conditions at a low temperature, which never surpasses 30°C. The fight against the olive fly, its main enemy, is done with attractive substances sprayed from the soil, using biologic methods without any treatment.
Appearance and Flavour
the Peza Irakliou Kritis PDO has a golden green color and a piquant, fruity flavour.
History
The history of the extra-virgin olive oil Peza Irakliou Kritis PDO is linked to the long-standing tradition of the olive tree culture in Greece, which is evidenced in historical sources and archaeological finds, giving this cultivation ancient origins.
Gastronomy
The extra-virgin olive oil is a stable to rancity food that needs correct preservation in order to maintain its organoleptic characteristics intact. It is thus advisable to keep it in a cool place and away from light, at a temperature between 14°C and 18°C, away from heat sources and from products that give off particular smells. It is recommendable to consume it within four to twelve months after the pressing, to enjoy it in the period of highest expression of its taste. The extra-virgin olive oil Peza Irakliou Kritis PDO is an essential ingredient in the Mediterranean diet.
Marketing
The product is sold as Peza Irakliou Kritis PDO. It is marketed in dark or transparent glass bottles holding 500 ml, 750 ml, and 1 l, or metal tins of 0,5 l to 5l, Bag-in-Box of 3l and 5l and 1l Tetraprisma of TetraPak.
Distinctive Features
A peculiar characteristic of the productive process of the extra-virgin olive oil Peza Irakliou Kritis PDO is the fact that the olives are pressed the same day of the gathering and at very low temperatures. This process, coupled with the climate and the soil characteristics, is the basis for this oil's excellent organoleptic properties.
