Cypriot Olive Oil

Olive oil is a staple of the Mediterranean diet and is used in the majority of traditional Cypriot dishes.

Cypriot olive oil is of the highest quality and carries with it a long tradition, starting from pre-historic times. Evidence of oil-extracting installations have been found in excavations all over the island, while the olive tree predates the existence of civilization on the island.

Olive oil use in Cypriot cuisine includes the garnishing of salads and other starter dishes, or serves as a cooking medium for roasting or frying. Popular dishes where olive oil is used include gemista (vegetables stuffed with rice, minced pork and spices), boiled white beans, louvia (black-eyed peas), roasted potatoes and ttavas (lamb stew).

You can purchase Cypriot olive oil everywhere, even in some small kiosks. It is available in many qualities, ranging from virgin, to extra virgin, to organic and specialty olive oils.

You can observe the traditional olive-oil making process at olive presses in several villages throughout the island, with the most notable being the village of Anogyra just outside Limassol, where an Olive Museum has been established and where visitors can also learn about the history of olive oil in Cyprus.