Learn more about Daphne Oil
How better to express the birth of our Daphne odyssey than by quoting our ancestor, Homer, the great poet who recounted the most beautiful adventure that ever existed.
Like Odysseus and his companions, we began our odyssey in the Peloponnese, in Kalamata, and cast anchor in Polleur, a small village in the Province of Liège in Belgium.
Through this article, we present our history, our challenges, and the values that drive us in showcasing the land inherited from previous generations.
Here you will find Evangelos (see photo), true to himself on the front line when it comes to harvesting olives. Every year, accompanied by YAYA (our grandmother 1928-2020), he directs the harvest of the family olive groves to extract, as Homer said (him again!), the liquid gold.
Kalamata
In the Gulf of Messinia, our family was born, more precisely in the village of Asprochoma – Leika, which is a diminutive of Iliopouleika, meaning the village populated by the "Iliopoulos". Indeed, it was not uncommon at the time for a single family to populate a village and give it its name.
As far back as the elders' memory goes, members of our family have always cultivated citrus fruits, fruit trees, and olive trees, majestic trees, symbols of peace and reconciliation since ancient times. To this day, an olive wreath and a jar of oil are still offered to the winner of the Olympic Games, as it is a gratifying reward from the gods of ancient Greece.
Consequently, we have always been active in olive growing for generations, passing on our knowledge from generation to generation.
The climate of the Kalamata region is conducive to olive cultivation; its dry weather and sunny days make it possible to produce one of – if not the – best olive oils in the world.
Its properties? An extremely low acidity level giving it all the qualities of a powerful antioxidant, an exquisite taste, and a high polyphenol content.
Moreover, let's not forget the Kalamata olive, protected by a PDO, and this time, we can write it, it is indeed the most famous table olive in the world.
Almond-shaped, it must be exclusively hand-picked, as there is a risk of stressing the tree, destroying the olive, and thus altering its taste and qualities.
In Leika, we have a rule: no aperitif can take place without Kalamata olives :)
Panorama of Leika – Centuries-old trees mingling with new plantations.
And Belgium in all this?
A long journey
Evangelos emigrated to Belgium while the colonels' regime was raging in Greece. He decided to leave Greece, heading north. After crossing most of the major European cities, he decided to settle in Belgium. Done, he became one of the pillars of the "ardent city" by working for his uncle, a restaurateur (Greek, of course), and pursuing his studies.
Once he had his diploma and a full and eventful career (antique dealer, insurance sector, HORECA, banking sector,...) and unable to stay still, when retirement came, he embarked on a new challenge: to promote Greek terroir, specifically that of Kalamata.
Indeed, Greece is considered the country producing the best olive oil in the world and the leading global producer of table olives... but was hardly "marketed" by the local population. Half of the national production flew to Italy, which after clever mixtures was sold under the "Made in Italy" seal.
Evangelos always brought a bottle of his oil to meals with friends, and it began to be appreciated by his epicurean relatives and restaurateur friends who used it in their preparations.
The odyssey begins and will be called Daphne Oil, an eternal tribute to his mother, our grandmother.
The olive groves of Polleur – Belgium