One of the Thassos’s treasures / Lora Photography

2014© Lora Photography

Olive trees are abundant on Thassos and are a big part of the island’s way of life. The production of olive oil has provided an income for many generations of Thassians.

On Thassos, the olive tree is considered a blessed tree and none of it is allowed to be wasted. Its fruit, the olive, is edible and used for producing olive oil. The leaves are used as food for animals and livestock. The wood is used to keep homes warm during the Winter, and, in the hands of wood sculptors, is made into beautiful works of art.

Thassos produces what locals call a non “twisted” olive, a distinct wrinkled black olive that goes by the name of the “Thassian Throuba Olive.” Throuba olives are medium-sized and very rich in quality, used to produce extra virgin olive oil with very low acidity. Lower acidity levels in the olive oil result in better quality, color, aroma, and taste, giving Thassos olive oil its superior characteristics.

Thassos olive oil contains large amounts of antioxidants, and a recent study showed that the juices in the Throuba olive contain properties that protect against heart attacks and other heart related diseases.