Our Big Fat Greek Vacation Meets Caputo’s Greek EVOO!

Update! Caputo’s has officially launched our first bottling of PDO protected Greek EVOO! Introducing Caputo’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil, an homage to our roots – both familial and culinary – in the special town of Chania (pronounced Han-ya). Matt’s words on how special this is to us:

Dear crew, friends, and family,

My yiayia (Greek for grandmother) never learned to speak English and had an urban farm way before it was cool. She did it because she was poor. She did it because the produce in the American grocery system didn’t taste real to her. In fact, she didn’t trust it. She wanted to grow and cook with flavors from her homeland, so she grew her own, many of which she brought  from Greece as seeds and starts.

As a kid, I was embarrassed by this way of eating, but my mother always told me stories, patiently encouraged me to keep an open mind, and insisted I eat what was offered. Few things have influenced me more than my Greek mother. This includes my relationship to flavors and food. Thanks to what she and my yiayia provided, I am drawn to flavors that are off the beaten path.

For the products we carry at Caputo’s, I look for the different and even the strange: flavors that are at risk of being left out of our increasingly homogenized food system if we don’t protect them. This olive oil, protected by the European Union and bearing the PDO seal, is just such a product. It is made with olives grown near the ancient port town of Chania on my mother’s ancestral island of Crete, Greece. The Caputo family has spent several summers there getting to know the local cuisine, on an island that consumes more olive oil per capita than anywhere in the world. Cretan food is practically swimming in olive oil just like this one. I researched and tasted many to find the best example of this special oil. It is dedicated to my mother, and we are excited to share it with you.

 

 

 

 

Walk down memory lane with us in the blog post below, pre-Covid, when we experienced this special place firsthand. As Yelena exclaimed when reminded of our adventure, “It was the trip of a lifetime!” Now you too can experience, in a small way, the unique sense of Chania with one taste of our Caputo’s Greek EVOO.

Post from August 6, 2018:

It’s here! Finally! GREEK WEEK!

But, why?

Well,  I’m half Greek. My grandmother (yiayia) arrived in SLC in 1948 and never learned to speak English. Out of necessity, she planted a diverse urban farm, often with seeds and starts she brought from Greece. To this day, it is the flavors and aromas of her recipes that inform which products adorn Caputo’s shelves. Recently, our whole Caputo clan embarked on a trip to various parts of Greece, including our ancestral home on the island of Crete. This trip and yiayia’s memory are the inspiration for the creation of our Greek Catalog, highlighting foods and traditions of this ancient and beautiful culture.

Take a look at our inspiring travel for yourself:

Greece 2018 family vaca starts now! Wish we could bottle their excitement.

Greece 2018 family vaca starts now! Wish we could bottle their excitement.

 

My big fat Greek wedding, Athenian style.

My big fat Greek wedding, Athenian style.

GiFr Wedding 2

 

Fam Wedding 2

 

Fr 1Gi 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First beach day in Crete! Obsessed with Elafonisi’s crystal waters.

First beach day in Crete! Obsessed with Elafonisi’s crystal waters.

 

Stomping around Old Town Chania. Χανιά - Παλιό Λιμάνι

Stomping around Old Town Chania. Χανιά – Παλιό Λιμάνι

 

Chania Food

 

Chania NightChania Tile

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dining at Dounias in the mountains high above Chania, Crete where the Slow Food movement is nothing new to the region but instead a continuation of the traditional Greek lifestyle and cuisine.

Dining at Dounias in the mountains high above Chania, Crete where the Slow Food movement is nothing new to the region but instead a continuation of the traditional Greek lifestyle and cuisine.

 

Dounias7Dounias8Dounias 2Dounias 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dounias 12

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Nestled in the mountains an hour outside of Chania, this taverna went so far and beyond rustic cuisine. The owners’ (husband and wife duo) little 2 yo boy sat at our table and ate snails from our plates. Kitchen tour, wood fire cooking only, cheese making before our eyes. And that bread. Highlight of the trip

Chania Old Town Port

Chania Old Town Port

Throwing it back to Athens. Acropolis | Lycabettus Hill | Plaka

Throwing it back to Athens. Acropolis | Lycabettus Hill | Plaka

 


Athens 1Athens 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Athens 7Athens 8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visited Yiayia’s mother’s birthplace in the village of Atsipopoulo, just outside of Rethymno. Met with neighbors who knew Polymnia and welcomed us with gifts and sweets. ❤️

Visited Yiayia’s mother’s birthplace in the village of Atsipopoulo, just outside of Rethymno. Met with neighbors who knew Polymnia and welcomed us with gifts and sweets. ❤️

Atsipopoulo2Atsipopoulo3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Atsipopoulo4

Rockin’ Rethymno. Réthymno, Rethimni, Greece

Rockin’ Rethymno. Réthymno, Rethimni, Greece

 

Rethymno3Rethymno2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rethymno4

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For the last leg of our trip, we picked a place we’ve never been, mostly because of the beach pics. Island in the Ionian, famous for the Shipwreck Navagio beach and blue caves. Evening views from top were way more impressive than daytime with the crowds.

For the last leg of our trip, we picked a place we’ve never been, mostly because of the beach pics. Island in the Ionian, famous for the Shipwreck Navagio beach and blue caves. Evening views from top were way more impressive than daytime with the crowds.

 

Makris Gialos, Xigia, Alykes2Makris Gialos, Xigia, Alykes3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Makris Gialos, Xigia, Alykes4Makris Gialos, Xigia, Alykes5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stayed in a remote area up north (apparently, the south is a bit of a party town). Loved the water, the countryside and the people here. They don’t get American tourists often and were so kind.

We stayed in a remote area up north (apparently, the south is a bit of a party town). Loved the water, the countryside and the people here. They don’t get American tourists often and were so kind.

 

Makris Gialos, Xigia, Alykes8Makris Gialos, Xigia, Alykes7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IMG_2033IMG_1914Makris Gialos, Xigia, Alykes9

 

IMG_2136IMG_2138Chania4

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