Flying Olive Farms will be packing up our #GreekGoodness and heading to Baltimore for the Expo East Show in one day!

 Not only is this show about presenting what we have to offer for buyers in the natural category but also, what a convenient time to put a face with an already established email personality/relationship.  Old friends and new, hope you look us up and comment on this post with your booth number.

If we don't see you have a great show!  

I hope you enjoy the interview in  Gourmet News, Naturally Healthy, which will be inside all buyer "check in" bags at the show.  

Or read below- Great tips on finding the honesty in your food choices!  

An interview with Pam Skea, managing director of Flying Olive Farms, speaking on products and recent collaboration with renowned chef, author and TV personality -Diane Kochilas.

Why Greek- Region Specific Olive Oils?

Like wine, the terrain influences everything about the oil, namely the flavor.  Generally speaking, the more specifics on the label regarding the oil, the more likely it is to be authentic, look for a specific region within a specific country. If it is mass produced from numerous countries, and shipped to and from, stored, then bottled, it will not show the region, as it simply cannot.

Why do you test for Polyphenols?

We test for polyphenols so that we can prove the honesty of our Olive Oils.  All oils come to us with a blueprint which is indicative of the particular region in which it was pressed.  Polyphenols are the health attributes of the oil. Many people not only enjoy the taste of Olive Oil, but they also eat for health benefits.  This is a customer’s “proof”.

How did you get your brand name of Vrisi36?

Diane (Kochilas)  tells it best- “It’s called Vrisi 36, a young company founded by Lou Moshakos, native of Sparta, land of the most astoundingly delicious, pungent, fruity olive oil in Greece. Lou was doing what so many Greek immigrants to the US do each time they visit their native land: He was bringing back a suitcase full of edible goodness: olive oils, local wines, great vinegar… Lou put his business acumen to work on the goods in those proverbial suitcases! He parlayed his love of great regional Greek food products into a vibrant importing…”

Balsamic Vinegars from Greece?

Yes, the most divine sundried grapes are morphed into sweet yet pungent balsamic, using age old methods, zero added sugar, zero caramels, zero colorants & sulfite free. 

I have never heard of Mastiqua?

There is nothing like Mastiqua, that I am aware of.  Mastiha is a tree resin which has been used for centuries in Greece; Hippocrates prescribed Mastiha….Modern studies show that Hippocrates was correct, proving beneficial achievement against digestive disorders, significant antimicrobial & anti-inflammatory properties and a natural antioxidant.

Diane describes it as ...”one of the most beguiling Greek beverages: Mastiqua, a delicious bottled water infused with Mastiha, the world’s most seductive spice, exclusively produced on the island of Chios.”

How did you meet Diane?

We met Diane at the Mediterranean Diet and Workplace Health Conference at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston in September, 2014, we formed a friendship as we all discussed passion for Greek culinary philosophies, and as Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the lubricant of the Greek Diet, it just felt natural for us to collaborate.

You seem very excited to bring Diane on board, tell me a little more?

Diane Kochilas is one of the world’s foremost authorities on Greek cuisine. She is a collaborating chef at various restaurant’s and runs an acclaimed cooking school on her family’s native island, Ikaria, a Blue Zone which is renowned for its longevity and has been quoted by New York Times as the Greek island “where people forget to die. She has collaborated with Harvard, Yale and UMass to develop healthy Greek menu items for student dining, has taught far and wide on Greek cuisine, from the C.I.A. to the prestigious Hattori School of Nutrition in Tokyo.

Diane has written 18 books on Greek cuisine. Her most recent book, Ikaria: Lessons on Food, Life & Longevity from the Greek Island Where People Forget to De (Rodale) won an IACP award, a Books for a Better Life Award and was long-listed for an Art of Eating award.  

With Diane’s expertise and our authentic Greek products the sky’s the limit!  As a company we can offer a competitive edge to our Grocery Buyers and our Grocery marketing events… We would like to offer Store buyers and distributors our services of writing recipes for promotional events, appearing,  cooking and educating customers on Greek products and ways to cook and use Greek Products.  We will bring added value to picking up the Flying Olive Farms brands- Vrisi36, Mastiqua and Monemvasia Wines….. We bring a story, a personality and the best Olive Oils, Wines and Vinegar's Greece has to offer. 

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