Amphoreus Paper Gift Box. Olive Pate 3 x 40 gr.

 A paper gift box with 3 miniatures of olive paste 40 gr each. An ideal gift full of the aromas of Greece!

Contains: 

•   a package of 40 gr of Kalamon olive paste 
• a package of 40 gr of spicy Kalama olive paste 
• a package of 40 gr of green olive paste 

HISTORY FROM GOLD BEHIND THE PRODUCT

  ”Amphoreus ”is called our Kalamatian olive oil and the choice of the name could not be more successful. Etymologically it comes from the adverb amfi (on both sides) and the verb fero (carry). More precisely, it is the predominantly oval vase with the double-sided handles that was filled with all the liquid products of the ancient Greek house. Unrestrained wine and oil were stored in amphoreus throughout the Mediterranean until the time of the Roman Empire, around the 16th century.

THE ROD OLIVES IN THE PASS OF TIME

  The olive tree of Kalamata has been declared in a "Preserved Monument of Nature" in an effort of the Greek state to recognize its special importance as an element of our heritage.The main aim was to highlight the key position that monumental olive trees and their materialistic and symbolic manifestations consist a natural and cultural heritage as weII.

Historically, olive cultivation is estimated to have started 7,000 years ago. The researches found olive fossils in the Greek area with the impressive age of 50,000 - 60,000 years. According to Greek mythology, the olive tree of the Acropolis was planted by the Goddess Athena herself and is part of the founding myth of Athens. Legend has it that Athena and Poseidon argued over the control of Athens, and so Zeus proposed a contest between them, deeming that city would be a prize to the winner. Poseidon went first and raised his trident, smashing it on a rock of the Acropolis, thus, producing salt water. Athena went second and offered an olive tree, a gift the citizens of Athens deemed useful and beautiful; therefore, she became the patron of the city, which was named after her.

 Regarding the Kalamata olives in particular, palynological data reveal that intensive cultivation of olive trees took place in Messinia during the Mycenaean period (1600-1100 BC). Even older finds of olive stones (pits) date back to almost a millennium earlier, in the period of Minoan Crete.

The Kalamata olive belongs to the Oleaceae family and its botanical name is Olea europaea. One of the characteristics of the species of the genus Olea sp. is their longevity that can exceed over 100 years. In fact, the productivity of these trees does not stop or decrease over the years. It is considered as the ''mother'' of the olive and is also called ''Aetonychia'' of Kalamon. How else since the elongated shape of her oval pit looks like an eagle claw ??

GREEN OLIVES IN THE PASS OF TIME

The green olive is cultivated exclusively in Halkidiki, mainly in the South part. In reality, however, the whole area is a landscape whose relationship with the olive tree is inseparable, inextricable and intertwined with economic and social tradition.

  From the Hellenistic times there is documented evidence of olive cultivation. It took place in a continuous way and did not stop even in Roman and early Christian times. Excavations such as stone hat-shaped olive mills confirm this. The connection of the inhabitants of Halkidiki with olive cultivation hides a history of many hundreds of years. It is striking that people initially crushed olives either with large stones or with their feet. The wooden lever that drives the stone cylinders appeared later, in the Bronze Age. In Olynthos of the 4th century, where every year the celebration of the olive tree is revived every year since the 1980s, we find the first sample of the stone manual mill. It is a typical witness of traditional cultivation and similar to that of Pompeii!

During the Middle Ages, however, and throughout the stone years of Ottoman rule, Chalkidiki did not stop cultivating its large, lush olives. These olive groves are characterized by diversity. In other words, they are consisted not only of olive trees, but also of other crops such as cereals. In this way the soil was rejuvenated and gaved fruits with extremely riched ingredients. It is a fact that calcium, iron and omega-3 fatty acids are contained in large percentages. On the other hand, total fats are much lower compared to other olive varieties.