The cultivation of olives is integral connected with the history, the economy and the nutrition of Crete from the Neolithic years until today. In the Minoan palaces were found olive fruits and storage jars of olive oil. In Minoan art the Olive Tree held a prominent place. Monumental olives scattered in the inland of the island testify the primordial presence of olive cultivation in Crete.
From the time of Minoan civilization until today, the inhabitants of the island continue the cultivation of ancestral olive groves and the production of olive oil. The precious "liquid gold" of the Cretan land is the basis of the famous Cretan diet and part of the daily habits of Cretan. The care and cultivation of olive groves, the harvesting of olives, the production of fresh olive oil of the year, the daily consumption, compose a vital circle for the Cretan and a basic pillar of the local culture.
