About Us

Our Olive Orchards are located in Lakonia, Greece. The area is dominated by two mountain ranges: Taygetos 2,407 m (7,897 feet) to the west and Parnonas 1,961 m (6,434 feet) to the east. Living off the land has been a way of life as far back as antiquity as indicated by the Byzantine Castle in the village of Mystra, from the 1200’s, at the base of Mount Taygetos.

Olive & Orange trees dominate the Lakonia region, but you will also see the occasional shepherd tending to their goats or sheep.

Well worth the visit!

WE HAVE ONE GOAL

Provide High Quality Farm Products

Our Discovery

Byzantine foods was started with a belief that food, health and the environment are intrinsically linked. It is our belief that nutrient rich foods promote healthy living and assist the body in its daily functions. While diseases, of various sorts, appear to be rising, the availability of nutrient rich foods are believed to be in decline (and fast foods are growing).

Hence, the desire and passion arose to create Byzantine Foods, with a focus on nutrient rich quality foods, to make a difference.

Our Mission

To grow and produce the best nutrient rich foods possible… that assist health and well being and to deliver it to your table while respecting the environment. Our aim is to deliver our foods without harmful chemicals.

We have applied for organic certification as at April 2019. Organic Certification was granted as at November 2022.

BioHellas http://www.bio-hellas.gr/en/AboutBioHellas/tabid/61/Default.aspx

Excellence – Integrity – Sustainability

With Passion From Our Farms

Through trial and error, we have acquired knowledge from our elders and communities. We aim to produce the freshest and healthiest farm food possible starting with olives and olive oil.
A special thank you to the Tzaras, Tsolakis, Alexopoulos and Matala families for passing down generational knowledge and the local communities of Zagana, Platana, Vrontamas, Affissou.

Van Alexopoulos

Passionate Farmer & Nutrient Rich Foods advocate

Our Orchards

Vrontamas

Kalamon, Maniatakia, Athanoulia Olive Varieties

Xouni

Koutsourolies, Manatakia & Kokkori Olives for Olive Oil. Kalamon Olives for eating.

Evrota

Manatakia & Koutsourolies Olive Varieties for Olive Oil. Walnut & Orange Trees.

Raki

Kalamon, Kakkorri, Koutsourolies Olive Varieties

Frequently Asked Questions !

EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Quality ?

We use https://www.internationaloliveoil.org/olive-world/olive-oil/ standards for the definition of Extra Virgin Olive oil. This requires that the acidity (expressed as oleic acid) be below 0.8 grams per 100 grams. We use glass bottles which does not leach into the food. For the 2020/2021 Harvest, the acidity was 0.3 grams for Byzantine Olive Oil.

Our olive oil is a combination of Manatakia, Koutsourelies, Athanolia olive varities which are rich in taste and flavour. We pick our olives from November to January of each calendar year starting with Kalamon olives.

How to keep fresh?

To ensure freshness, please avoid three things: direct sunlight, heat as well as oxygen (leaving bottles open). All three will reduce freshness and potentially affect the nutritional value of the products.

Store away from sunlight, in a cold room (15-23 C suggested) and keep sealed until serving.

Do not need to refrigerate.

Green vs Black Olives?

Firstly, there many olive varieties, but some olive varieties are more suitable as table olives or otherwise referred to as eating olives. In the Lakonia region of Greece, Kalamon Olives are the main olive grown for eating. This olive is a great choice because of its size, but is not as good for olive oil as it tends to not keep as fresh as other varieties.

Green versus black olives are as simple as unripen (green) versus ripe (black) olives.

We hope you enjoy our olive varieties.

Health benefits of olive oil?

Many foods are debated as to their health effects. I am not a doctor. It is my personal belief that olive oil that has been in use since antiquity is healthy for you. I encourage you do to your own research.

The most recent harvest, olives and olive oil, was tested for nutritional value. The EV Olive oil from our fields was found to be a significant source of Vitamin E.

As a farmer, I seek to grow and produce an authentic and healthy product. I/we control the planting, fertilizer & soil analysis, irrigation, harvesting, selection of olive oil processors, bottling. I can validate the product of origin. Once purchased: exposure to sunlight, oxygen and excessive heat can change the chemical composition.

There is also some debate as to using olive oil for cooking. My personal view – olive oil for salads, light cooking and almost anything except for deep frying. Hope that helps!

Sincerely, Evagelos Alexopoulos

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/is-extra-virgin-olive-oil-extra-healthy

https://www.drweil.com/diet-nutrition/anti-inflammatory-diet-pyramid/how-to-choose-a-quality-olive-oil/

https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/body-mind-spirit/heart/olive-oil-heart-disease/

Where do our products come from?

Food Source – Our Orchards are located between two massive mountain ranges, Taygetos and Parnonas, and stretch from the cities of Sparta to Skala (Greece). The region is known for hot summers and wet and cool winters. Agriculture is a way of life in the region and you will find olive groves, orange groves as well as Figs, Walnuts and other fruit varieties. Olive trees need a minimum amount of cold during the winter to hibernate or the trees will not flower in spring.

Why glass bottles?

We ship our olives and olive oil in glass bottles (rather than plastic) to avoid leaching of residues into the food.

Shipping, Payment, Volume rebates?

We offer flat rate shipping on the island of Montreal for $15. Standard Canada post shipping rates across Canada and USA.

Please contact us for any bulk orders or destinations that can cause shipping costs to unnecessarily be high. We will find a solution.

Kind regards,

Byzantine foods

FAQ - About Us

How long have you been in business? I can confirm that my great grand-parents have been harvesting olives and olive oil. Yiayia Maria, says forever. I personally have been harvesting for over 10 years and purchased my own olive orchards in 2017.