Greeks in Albania

The olive has been an essential part of Greek history, agriculture, and cooking for over 3500 years. Today, only Spain produces more olives than Greece. The Greeks do consume more olives per capita than any other people in Europe-over 8 pounds per person! Consequently, the Greeks take their olives very seriously. Every region of the country produces its own distinctive olive. Of course, the locals in each area are always convinced that their particular olive is Greece's finest. Try them for yourself and choose your own favorites!

Kalamata-The best known Greek olive, Kalamatas are grown in the valley of Messina on the western end of the Peloponnesean Peninsula, near the town of Kalamata. Kalamatas are very attractive olives-they have a distinctive almond shape and a beautiful deep purple-black color. And they taste every bit as good as they look. After picking, Kalamatas are hand slit, then cured in a red wine vinegar brine, which gives them a distinctively fruity, almost wine-like flavor.

While the average Kalamata olive may be good, you have to taste one of Zingerman's hand-picked Kalamatas to really appreciate the true greatness of this fine olive. Careful hand-picking and slow natural brine curing makes these Kalamata olives vastly superior in both flavor and texture to any other Kalamata you'll find in this country. (Machine picked and lye cured, most other Kalamatas you'll find will be much less flavorful, with an uneven, often mushy consistency.) Quite simply, no other Kalamata can match the deep, winelike flavor or the consistent firm texture of these hand-picked beauties. Kalamata olives are traditionally served in a Greek village salad, with feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.

Nafplion-Although they are little known outside of Greece, Nafplion olives are some of the most delicious green olives you'll ever try. The Nafplion is a small, light green olive, which grows only in the valley of Argos in the Eastern Peloponnese. Zingerman's Nafplion olives are hand-picked, then cracked with stones and naturally cured in brine. They have a consistent, firm, crunchy texture, and a superb, nutty, slightly smokey flavor. Nafplion olives are particularly good dressed with extra virgin olive oil, slices of fresh lemon and sprigs of fresh dill.

Amfissa-Amfissa olives come from the hills around Delphi, the legendary home of the ancient Greek oracles. The olives of Amfissa are hand-picked when they are very ripe, then slowly brine cured. They have a mild, fruity olive flavor and a somewhat softer texture. Their mellow flavor makes Amfissas a nice contrast to strong cheeses, or to some of the other, more full flavored olives. In Greece, Amfissa olives are often served in soups or stews.

Thasos-These wonderful dry cured olives come from the island of Thasos in the northern part of the Aegean Sea. Hand-picked when very ripe, slowly dry cured, and then lightly coated with olive oil. Somewhat milder than dry cured Moroccan olives, the olives of Thasos do have an intense, nutty olive flavor. In Greece, they are commonly eaten sprinkled with olive oil and oregano, while sipping a glass of wine or ouzo.

Joints? LOL - that's the 1st time I've ever heard them being called like that

Originally posted by vulkan02 its a Bronx thing... hope you'll understand

Lived in Brixton (the Bronx equivalent in London) for a couple of moons - I think the equivalent there is "jaffa"...

blunts?

I think the name "African AMerican" is quite unneccesary, i mean, there Not personally from Africa. If a "white man" is called white, then a black should be called black unless a "white" ios called european american.

Well thats what they say is the politically correct term

NORTHEN EPIRUS

Northen Epirus , eternal Greek homeland !!

LOL - here we go again....

GENERAL PARMENION,
Some notes from a fellow Greek:
Take it easy - write more, paste less pictures.
State your case with arguments.
It is better to persuade someone rather than provoke him.
And don't drop to the level of some "funny" characters in here, who continue to provoke everyone with extremist ideas.
(Yes, I am talking about you, little FYROMite with the wrong map...)
Finally, welcome to the Forum of all Forums, Parmenion