Boasting the longest coastline in Europe, Greece is known for its beautiful turquoise colored water, the birthplace of democracy, philosophers, gods and goddesses and, of course, extra virgin olive oil! Not only am I obsessed with the taste of this olive oil, I love that PJ Kabos provides a positive impact on the local community and the environment by supporting other farmers and practicing the traditional method of hand-harvesting for their family reserve and selection labels. Great taste, a high-quality product and sustainable practices — checks all the boxes for me!
Harvest time
this award winning EVOO is harvested near Ancient Olympia.
Exploring this gorgeous country over the summer and ordering the popular greek salad while on holiday…that I devoured everyday, we met a greek local at our hotel in Athens. After getting to know one another and enjoying hours of a delicious traditional greek dinner together and our love of olive oil, he suggested his favorite brand and that’s how I connected with PJ. : PJ Kabos Extra Virgin Olive Oil Established by James Panagiotopoulos (PJ). James’ personal olive groves are trees lovingly planted by his father and grandparents over 50 years ago near Ancient Olympia.
Now…raise your hand if you’ve heard about the health benefits of adopting a Mediterranean diet. I hope there are lots of hands going up right now! PJ’s grandmother lived till the ripe age of 103. A testimony for the benefits of olive oil? I think so! I recently learned that taking one tablespoon of olive oil per day can benefit you in a number of ways, one being… it can lower cholesterol, so I am personally upping my intake of this healthy fat (just a table spoon a day keeps the doctor away) so what do we have to lose! We are living longer, why not live smarter!
Here’s a guideline to the Olive Oil Tasting Process
· Put a small amount of PJ KABOS EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) in a short glass.
· Cover the top of the glass with your hand and swirl it around gently for 10 seconds—this releases all the aromas in the oil.
· Quickly remove your hand from the top and inhale. You should now realize all the fresh aromas this EVOO has to offer.
· Next, sip a small amount—simultaneously taking in some oxygen—and swirl it around in your mouth. By doing this you will become conscious of the fresh taste and medium-intensity bitterness of the olive oil.
· Finally, swallow the oil and note its pungency, felt as a burn at the back of your throat. This is also an indication of the existence of phenols (antioxidants) in this EVOO. (EVOO. acronym for "extra virgin olive oil")
Our family loves a great salad. We drizzle this on spinach, arugula, and fresh tomatoes with burrata cheese. Add a dash of lemon juice…delish! This Oil is so flavorful, it tastes like a fresh garden smells! And, it’s great for grilling too! If you need a bit of cooking inspo, check out one of my favorite cookbooks, IKARIA, by Diane Kochilas. It’s part cookbook and part travelogue.
Party season is right around the corner…if you’re looking for something different to bring instead of a typical bottle of wine, PJ Kabos EVVO makes a great hostess gift! Use my code GGARDENIA to get 10% off on Amazon - giving the gift of health and saying thank-you at the same time.
Thank you- ευχαριστώ to our friend James Charles for introducing us to PJ Kabos! now we just need a plane ticket back to Greece!
OPA!
xo, Janet
Harvest photos courtesy of PJ Kabos.
