Dear friends
As many of you already know, I am currently in the southern Peloponnese with the aim of speaking with local farmers. I am looking for new organic products to bring back to Berlin. My search has been successful. However, as I always do, I’d like to ask for your opinion. I’m thinking of importing to Berlin the following:
green olives with or without pits, black olives (Kalamata), plain green olive paste and green olive paste with chili, black olive paste, and local sea salt either plain or blended with herbs. I’m also considering organic tahini and sun-dried tomatoes.
I’m happy to report that the trip has been fruitful! But before making final decisions, I’d love to hear your thoughts — as I always do. Would any of these interest you? Do you have favorites or suggestions? Your feedback (as you know) is always appreciated. I would kindly ask you to send me a personal email with your ideas
I am coming...
Every spring, I always take a walk through our olive grove. The fragrance of the flowers drifts through the air, meeting the footprints of wild creatures wandering leisurely here and there. Truly, spring is the most enchanting season of the year in Laconia — though the serene hush of autumn and the stillness of winter hold their own quiet beauty.
A few kilometers away, across the plain, the orange trees, too, are celebrating the arrival of spring. The scent of their blossoms is simply extraordinary. The mingling aromas of the flowers and the fresh, pure air are reason enough for anyone to visit Laconia in April.
If any of you happen to visit Laconia and find yourselves in need of advice or guidance during your stay, do not hesitate to send me a message.
...
Dear Friends of Berlin Oil Connection
I wanted to inform you that since last Saturday, the olive oil from my farm, in 750ml and 500ml bottles, is once again available, after being out of stock for a few weeks. This practically means that every Saturday at the Schiller market in Neukölln, along with the organic oil from my friend Dimitris' farm in Gythio, Laconia, you will now also be able to find my olive oil.
In addition to olive oil, you can always find the best quality organic mountain tea, various organic herbs, handmade olive oil soap, as well as other products from locations in the southern Peloponnese.
The Schillermarkt market takes place every Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM, and you can find us there every week....
This is a photo that brings back memories of another era. In fact, it brings it back to life. It depicts a windmill in Geraki, Laconia (a few klm from our farm), where the locals used to take their wheat on horses and donkeys to have it milled into flour. This mill is one of those that exist around the village as well as in the wider area. Some people older than me still remember that time. Behind the windmill, you can see the snow-covered Mount Parnon. You will soon be able to find more short stories from Laconia on my blog: https://berlinoilconnection.de/en/blog/category/blog/.
special thanks to @christinemorenin (instagram) for this picture...
Dear friends of Berlin Oil Connection,
Through this post, I would like to wish you a beautiful transition into the new year. I hope that 2025 brings us peace, serenity, and creativity. I wish good health for you and your loved ones.
Although times are challenging, I hope that we all maintain a spirit of optimism and make this year as beautiful as possible.
I imagine that I will see many of you in person at the Saturday market in a few days, where my stand will be there, every Saturday of January.
As usual, I am writing to you when I have important news to share. Today is one of those days. This past year has been quite good for me in every way. The quality of the olive oil was excellent, as always, which is evident from your enthusiasm. This makes me especially happy because I truly love what I do. However, my farm produces a specific quantity of olive oil each...
Besides the extra virgin olive oil of my farm, several friends visit me at Schillermarkt in Schillerkiez at the district of Neukölln exclusively to get mountain tea (from Mount Parnonas), a sort of tea of exceptional quality and famous worldwide. Especially the tea from mount Parnonas has a very high reputation. People who often visit the mountain from all over Greece, it's the first thing they look to procure. There is even an old saying in Laconia that goes: “gather tea on the mountain of Parnon and oregano on Taygetus”. The older generations knew well that the mountain tea from Parnon is special. The same goes for me, of course. You see, I grew up with mountain tea. There are many times I remember my grandmother when I was a child, when every time I had a cold she would brew mountain tea from Parnon and serve it to me with local fir honey from the mountain and lemon she...
Every Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM, Ι participate in the most beautiful market in Neukölln at Schillermarkt in Schillerkiez at the district of Neukölln. You can find extra virgin olive oil from our farm in 500ml and 750ml bottles, as well as a range of other products that I detail below:
- Extra virgin olive oil from our farm in Laconia 750ml and 500ml
- Organic mountain tea from Mount Parnon.
- Handmade olive oil soaps from our friend Zoe from Skala Laconia
- Beeswax ointments.
- Many different herbs:
ORGANIC OREGANO 30 gr JAR
ORGANIC THYME 30 gr GLASS JAR
ORGANIC SAVORY 30 gr GLASS JAR
ORGANIC MIX BARBECUE 30 gr GLASS JAR
ORGANIC BAY LEAVES 10 gr GLASS JAR
ORGANIC MIX SALAD 30gr GLASS JAR
ORGANIC BASIL 30gr GLASS JAR
ORGANIC ROSEMARY 30 gr GLASS JAR
Many times we also have various other extra products of the month. Ask us for more.
Our stand in Market...
Dear friends of Berlin Oil Connection
I hope you are all doing well. I would like to announce that 5LT canisters of the harvest 2023 - 24 have already arrived in Germany and I am expecting to get them in the upcoming days. I will receive them, either on Monday (February 26st or Friday March 1st). Thank you all for pre-ordering. I am going to write everyone a message in order to set up a date for the pick up. Those who didn't order their canister yet, you can always contact me via email, whatsapp or come by in Neükolln.
Thank you all for your support.
Berlin Oil Connection...
If you are looking for extra virgin olive oil from one farm in Laconia, but you live in Prenzlauer Berg and Neükolln seems to be a bit far away, don't worry. You can buy our olive oil at the market located on Seelower strasse next to Schönhauser Allee. My friend Kengy is there with his stand which is specialized in good wine as well as other goodies. It is worth it to pay a visit.
So you can buy Christmas gifts for your loved ones. The market on Seelower Strasse takes place every Saturday from 10am to 4pm...
What is adulterated olive oil and how widespread is its circulation in the super market?
Often it is a mixture of 2 oils, extra virgin olive oil and usually sunflower oil. This type of adulteration can be classified as extra virgin olive oil by some brands in the olive oil market. It can be further degraded when mixed with various olive oils of dubious quality from different countries around Europe, Middle East or North Africa. In the worst case, it is a mixture of soybean and sunflower oil, to which chlorophyll and beta-carotene substances are added. You should be especially careful when checking the labels of these oils.
How can I tell if an olive oil is adulterated? Are there simple methods that can help to identify a bad olive oil?
This is the most important question. How can we know if the olive oil we buy is adulterated? Here are some useful tips.
Put it in the fridge
You can do this simple test...
