Thassos Island - Olives
The olive tree first appeared thousands of years ago in the Mediterranean and spread around. In Greek mythology the olive tree is seen as a gift offered by the goddess Athens to the city of Athens as a promise for glory and prosperity.
Since ancient times, the olive tree appears in the myths, history and culture of Greece as a symbol for prosperity, fertility and peace. A simple example which shows us the importance of olive trees for the Greeks is the fact that they used to offer an olive tree branch as an award for the winners in the Olympic Games.
The olive tree is considered a blessed tree, as every part of it can be exploited. Today, besides its fruits, the wood and the leaves of the olive tree are also used in the industry.
The olive tree has a long life and it is usually planted in areas that have a mild climate, especially in the Mediterranean area, which is a resource for 98% of the world's production.
The island of Thassos , because it has a mild climate, can offer very good conditions for cultivating olive trees, both at the lower areas and at the mountainous ones, helping the production of olives during the winter too. In Thassos grow olive trees that have reached over 700 years.
The olive tree that grows in Thassos is called "throumba" or "thassitiki". This kind of olive tree can be found especially on Thassos, but it can also be found in other regions of Greece , like: Crete , Attiki, Chiros, Samos etc. Its fruit is of medium size and weights approximately 3 grams. This tree's olives - Throumba - are considered a delicacy and they have their own place in the Mediterranean kitchen.
