GREEK OLIVES
KALAMON OLIVES
Kalamon olives are also famously known in other parts of the world as Kalamata olives. The Kalamon or Kalamata olives are the most popular variety of olives widely used in cooking and as an ingredient in a wide variety of Mediterranean dishes. The Kalamon with its distinct superior taste and quality is one of the widely exported Greek produce. The Kalamon olives are one of the top exported food items from Greece all over the world. It is cultivated in the areas of Messinia (formerly known as Kalamata) and Lakonia (known as Sparta) can also be found in the region of Agrinion in Greece. The Kalamon fruits usually ripen during mid-November to early January which is the late fall to midwinter.
Chalkidiki Olives are large pale green Greek olives in oval shape and commonly harvested while it is still young. Usually processed through brine curing which has a firmer meat texture that can provide a full soft flavor with a little tartness and a bit peppery in taste. The Chalkidiki Olives grows and cultivated in northern Greece on the Chalkidiki Peninsula with its unique climate condition and soil characteristics make this olive developed a full, spicy and slightly bitter taste with a hint of fruity aroma without any hint of oiliness. Since it is harvested while it is still young this oval shape olive is fleshy (meaty) with small stone and developed a bright yellow green color which will change to yellow when it matures. With the perfect climate condition and nutrients rich soil this Greek olive is considered as the superior type among other table olives. The Chalkidiki olives are harvested from mid -September to the end of October.
GREEN OLIVES
HEALTH BENEFITS OF OLIVES
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Cardiovascular Benefits: The antioxidant nutrients in black olives impede this oxidation of cholesterol, thereby helping to prevent heart disease. Olives do contain fat, but it’s the healthy monounsaturated kind, which shrink the risk of atherosclerosis and increase good cholesterol.
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Weight Loss: It appears that monounsaturated fats, the kind found in olives, may encourage weight loss. Olive oil consumption has been shown to breakdown fats inside fat cells, get rid of belly fat and reduce insulin insensitivity.
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Cancer Prevention: The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of olives make them a natural for protection against cancer because chronic oxidative stress and chronic inflammation can be key factors in the development of cancer.
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Less Pain: Many different varieties of olive preparation provide us with valuable amounts of many different antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients which can act as a natural Ibuprofen. Their oils contain oleocanthal, a substance with anti-inflammatory agents.
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Skin and Hair Health: Black olives are rich in fatty acids and antioxidants that nourish, hydrate and protect. Head among those is vitamin E. Whether applied topically or ingested, vitamin E has been shown to protect skin from ultraviolet radiation, thus guarding against skin cancer and premature aging.
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Less Allergies: Olive extracts have now been shown to function as anti-histamines at a cellular level. By blocking special histamine receptors (called H1 receptors), unique components in olive extracts may help to lessen a cell’s histamine response.
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Digestive Tract Health: Olive oil’s protective function also has a beneficial effect on ulcers and gastritis. Olive oil activates the secretion of bile and pancreatic hormones much more naturally than prescribed drugs, thereby lowering the incidence of gallstone formation.
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Good Source of Iron: Olives, especially black are very high in iron. The ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body is due to the presence of iron in the blood.
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Eye Health: One cup of olives contains ten percent of the daily recommended allowance of vitamin A which, when converted into the retinal form, is crucial for healthy eyes.
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Increases Blood Levels of Glutathione: Consumption of olive pulp is associated with significantly increased glutathione levels in the blood and improvement in antioxidant capacity.