Mediterranean cuisine is famous for its healthy products and delicious taste. One of the key ingredients making it so unique and healthy is olive oil, also known as “liquid gold” due to numerous useful properties and unsurpassed taste of this product. Premium organic extra virgin olive oil Olio Zo created in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, is the epitome of the perfection that can be achieved only through a commitment to excellence and great respect for nature. These are the key factors that made this brand a winner of Luxury Lifestyle Awards in the category of The Best Luxury Olive Oil in Cyprus.
Traditions that underlie the creation of the exquisite Olio Zo are deeply rooted in the history of Cyprus, and more specifically, the area of ancient Greek kingdom Tamassos. The inhabitants of this region were mainly occupied in olive cultivation. Among them was the Antoniou family, whose members have passed the secrets of olive-growing and the production of olive oil for generations to this day.
Today the area of Tamassos still offers the perfect climate, water, and soil conditions for olive trees cultivation. This land inspired the Antoniou family to use the ancient traditions and use the secret expertise to create a new organic olive grove. Now this grove occupies an area of 30,000sqm and comprises 1000 olive trees. The brand Olio Zo was created in 2018, and its name originates from the Greek words “olive” and “live” (“zo”).
The organic extra virgin olive oil Olio Zo is distinguished by high levels of polyphenols (hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, oleacein, oleuropain, oleocanthal, and others), making this product a powerful antioxidant. Of the many EVOOs produced in the Mediterranean, only a small proportion contains these compounds, and is referred to with the term ‘High Phenolic’. This recently created category of olive oil is classified as such due to the European Regulation Health Claim (432/2012) that identifies and recognizes the unique polyphenols occurring in olive oil, and the significant health-protective benefits they provide. The extra value of the Health Claim labeling is that it distinguishes a product as the highest quality segment within the Extra Virgin Olive Oil category.
Olive oil contains polyphenols naturally – they protect the oil from spoilage when exposed to oxygen and sunlight. Similarly, olive oil consumption protects the human body from oxidative damage. The green color of the olive oil reflects the highest level of polyphenols, which means that it has an anti-inflammatory effect helping people live a long and healthy life. As an organic product, Olio Zo does not contain any chemical substances that can harm human health or the environment.
One of the key features of Olio Zo is providing the customers with premium unfiltered olive oil. The large enterprises filter the oil to reduce its natural turbidity and make it look better, thereby reducing the product’s quality and removing its therapeutic substances. Only a mechanical process of purifying can help retain the vitamins and trace elements providing the oil with the murky appearance and distinctive juice taste.
Speaking about the taste, Olio Zo is remarkable for its characteristic bitterness inherent in any high-quality bio extra virgin olive oil. This is due to the presence of Oleocanthal and Oleacein, the two most widely researched phenolic compounds, which are unique to olive oil. Higher phenol content causes a more pronounced fruity taste giving you a pleasant bitter sensation in the mouth.
The experts of Luxury Lifestyle Awards commended not only the excellent quality of the olive oil itself, but the elegant balance of form and content presented by Olio Zo. Once you see the sophisticated product packaging, its exclusivity becomes apparent. The unique bottles are made in Italy, and their painting is handmade in Greece. The oil is bottled exclusively in the Antoniou family’s own certified bottling plant; the bottles are numbered, sealed, and accompanied with an Organic Certification. Finally, each bottle is packaged in a luxury box and sent worldwide to 5-star hotels, luxury restaurants, honored chefs, gourmet stores, as well as to those who want to invest their health or prefer gourmet and unique cuisine.