Grease enlightening

It’s not only cars that need oiling. People do too. The Cretans – the world’s olive oil afficionados – have always consumed more olive oil than anyone else (an average 29 kilos per person per year). And as a result, scientific research and statistical analyses since the 1960s have shown that the island has the highest life expectancy on Earth (around 80 years), and one of the lowest incidences of heart and other chronic diseases.

With this and my own mortality in mind, I spent a day at the Cretan Olive Oil Farm near Agios Nikolaos. Here, everything is as it would always have been: a 130-year-old olive press; an original threshing floor; a loft with the big basket holding five 'muzuria' of olives; the donkey’s yoke; even the oil-lamp used to light the factory when production began before dawn.

Health benefits of olive oil

The traditional production process – still used here - was explained to me, as well as its awesome health benefits. Due to its exceptionally high content of both monounsaturated fatty acids and antioxidant substances, olive oil protects you from heart disease by controlling your cholesterol. And, because it’s a substance so well tolerated by your stomach, it really helps if you’re suffering from ulcers or gastritis, and lowers your chance of getting gallstones.

Perhaps olive oil’s most immediately appealing quality is that it’s anti-ageing: the vitamin E content helps to maintain one’s mental faculties and muscular control. And its vitamin A minimises the development of skin wrinkles. All this from a little olive – and all it asks for in return is sun.

A day excursion to the Cretan Olive Oil Farm – including ‘meze’ lunch beneath the bougainvillea and wine – is €30. You can book a holiday in Greece through the Tapestry Collection.