Crete, amidst a sea of purple, is beautiful and enchanting! This is how Herodotus, the father of history, described it over two thousand years ago. One might say: "Want to live a long life? Then move to Crete." Of course, not everyone can do that, but there's something everyone can try: eating foods from this "enchanting island."

Olive oil-based creams can combat wrinkles, and olive oil significantly improves blood circulation to muscles when applied. Its miraculous effects are not only supported by current statistics and scientific research, but also mentioned in ancient Greek mythology. After all, Crete is close to the gods; that's where Zeus himself was born!

Mythological Significance

The Greek gods often argued and played tricks on each other. Zeus tried to mediate their disputes. One of the most famous disputes over a vast territory was between Poseidon and Athena. Zeus decided that the winner would be the one who gave the people the most valuable gift.

Poseidon confidently took his trident and hurled it into a nearby rock. From the spot where it landed, a powerful spring of seawater gushed forth. The gods and people frowned, saying they had more than enough salty water. What would they do with this?

Then it was Athena's turn. She also used her weapon, a spear, and thrust it into the ground. Soon, green shoots sprouted from the spear, and before long, an olive tree grew. This was one of the greatest gifts the gods gave to humanity.

The olive was not just a food; it was also a symbol. The winners of the Olympic Games were not decorated with laurel wreaths, as is commonly believed, but with olive branches! In wars, which were never scarce in the Peloponnese, the defeated would plead for peace with an olive branch. The olive tree was a symbol of peace, fertility, and prosperity. In the Bible, a dove appeared to Noah with an olive branch, signaling the end of the flood.

We have already mentioned Herodotus, the "father of history," who admired Crete. According to modern historians, it is also the most mysterious place in European history for Europeans. A thousand years before the first temple was built in Europe, a palace was built there, which, with its size, design, and technological innovations, defies all rational explanation.

While the rest of Europe was still using stone axes (this formidable weapon appeared almost a thousand years later), and people didn't even know what a horse looked like, living in caves or, at best, in huts made of clay, Crete already had flushing toilets, plumbing, and even a primitive form of air conditioning. The architects of Crete were able to create technically and aesthetically perfect designs for buildings that even have the most modern earthquake-resistant features by today's standards. The people could write in a script that we have yet to decipher.

Although we don't find a single depiction of a deity in the palaces of the Minoan kings who ruled all of Greece at that time, on the other hand, we don't find a single soldier or armed person. Who were these people who were so confident in their strength and power? What deity did they worship? Were they truly the original inhabitants of our continent?

Back to the Present

What does modern gastronomy say? It claims that olive oil is almost a miraculous food. It is a fat that does not contain harmful cholesterol and does not cause weight gain. Moreover, it only starts to break down at much higher temperatures than other commonly used vegetable oils (such as rapeseed or sunflower oil).

The olive oil from Crete, produced by the small monastery of the Holy Trinity (Agia Triada), has repeatedly won international awards as "The Best Olive Oil of the Mediterranean." An interesting fact is that it is processed by local monks. We asked them about their recipe for producing high-quality olive oil. They said it's quite simple. You only need: good soil, olive trees that are at least five hundred years old, plenty of sunshine, and adequate moisture. And you must never use any chemicals. Then, you need the right variety of small olives, called "koroneiki." Once the harvest is collected, you must not leave the olives lying for more than one hour! After one hour, fermentation begins, the quality of the oil drops sharply, and the chlorophyll, which this variety is particularly rich in, is degraded. That's why large-scale producers have no chance. This article was published with the kind permission of the magazine Sféra. **DIOCHI** **casopis-sfera.cz** / gnews.cz-HeK