Our shop in Atelierstrasse 1 in the Werksviertel in Munich

Tradition and history

The story of Barba Niko's olive oil begins long before he became known around the world. According to legend, Barba Niko was a Greek Olive growers, who has grown his olives with great care. It was said that he treated his trees like family. After a while he became known in and around Koroni for producing olive oil of the highest quality. If another olive farmer was very convinced of his own olive oil, he would say: “This olive oil is as good as Barba Niko's!” This is how his name became a symbol of excellent olive oil quality!

All of our olive groves are close to the sea and our olives can see the sea, which, according to Barba Niko, contributes to the fact that they can be processed into a very special olive oil. The Koroneiki olive tree is rather small and gnarled and is grown on the smallest hillside terraces, every piece of earth is used.

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Olive oil for your health

Olive oil has been shown to protect health. Researchers are discovering more and more substances in the oil of the Mediterranean fruit, some of which have overwhelming effects, for example for breast cancer, heart disease, diabetes and, more recently, for depression.

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Less cancer and heart attacks thanks to olive oil

In the Mediterranean countries, people are healthier. Far fewer people there develop arteriosclerosis and heart attacks than in our northern latitudes. The death rate from colon cancer is also significantly lower there. In the search for the protective factor of these people, scientific research uncovered olive oil as a main component of the Mediterranean diet.

In countries like Greece, Spain and southern Italy, olive oil is the main source of fat. Animal fats, on the other hand, are rarely used. Since there is an undeniable connection between the consumption of animal fats and the risk of dying not only from colon cancer, but also from breast, prostate or ovarian cancer, those who use high-quality vegetable fat sources, in particular, have a clear advantage reaches for olive oil.

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Olive oil lowers the "bad" cholesterol

Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids. Seed oils such as sunflower oil and safflower oil, on the other hand, contain polyunsaturated fatty acids, while animal fats are full of saturated fatty acids. With regard to the cholestrin level, one was certain for a long time that saturated fatty acids (butter, lard, sausage, fatty meat, fatty cheese) would cause it to skyrocket, polyunsaturated fatty acids reduce it again.

This is still true today, but we now know that the polyunsaturated fatty acids lower total cholesterol (not only the “bad” LDL cholesterol, but also the “good” and therefore very useful HDL cholesterol).

The monounsaturated fatty acids in olive oil, on the other hand, only restrict the LDL cholesterol, i.e. the cholesterol that is responsible for the deposits in the blood vessels. The good HDL cholesterol, which leads to the removal of harmful vascular deposits, remains unaffected.

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Olive oil lowers the risk of tumor formation and depression

Studies also showed that an increased intake of monounsaturated fatty acids had an extremely positive effect on gastric and intestinal ulcers and gallstones. The gastric acid secretion is reduced by the olive oil and the formation of gallstones is prevented.

Further research showed that even the risk of pancreatic cancer can be reduced through the various uses of olive oil. And finally, the olive oil-rich Mediterranean cuisine should also help prevent depression.

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Olive oil for soft and healthy skin

The high content of vitamin E and antioxidants, together with unsaturated fatty acids, delays the aging process of human cells, especially skin cells. This effect is also noticeable when olive oil is used externally as a skin care oil. Applied directly after sunbathing, it has been shown to reduce the risk of skin cancer.

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Barba Nikos Olive Oil Information

In the very south of the Peloponnese, near Kalamata, is the small fishing village of Koroni.

One of the classic olive growing areas is located here. It is said that the olive variety "Koroneiki" cultivated there got its name from this place. This oil is one of the best in the world.

From this fact it is derived that we harvest our olives exclusively traditionally by hand. From the end of October to the end of December, we and our harvest workers harvest tree by tree. First, olive nets are spread out under the trees. Now the first pruning begins, which is largely responsible for the next good harvest. The remaining olives are now knocked from the tree with a long-handled comb, which also requires a certain technique, because the branches must of course not be damaged in the process. When the first trees are harvested, a mechanical tool with rotating rubber nubs is used to combed the olives from the cut branches. The branches and leaves are then removed from the nets with rakes and the olives are piled up into a large mountain by pulling the nets from the outside in and sacked in jute sacks. After every harvest day we bring the olive sacks to the oil mill.

there the olives are washed first and at the same time the remaining twigs and leaves are removed using a blower. Now the fresh olives are crushed into a pulp. This olive paste is constantly stirred and must never be heated above 27 degrees, hence the name "cold-pressed". After about an hour, the oil will settle and be separated from the amniotic fluid with a centrifuge.

The fresh oil must now be stored in tanks or barrels for another 3 months, only then is it filled into canisters or bottles. It is unfiltered and remains naturally cloudy, existing suspended matter settles over time and the oil acquires its green-gold color.