Modern olive oil production unit 

Villa Evanthia is an newly built villa in split-level with private pool run by the Paraschakis family and it has so many things to offer. The villa is situated in a landscape of unique beauty with nice views of Cretan mountains, in peaceful area and just a 300 meter walk from restaurants and mini markets at Melidoni village. A great place for you the distinguished traveller who is seeking for a "home" away from home! Away from the hustle touristic areas but perfectly situated to reach Crete’s different and beautiful beaches, cities, villages and sights.

The PARASCHAKIS family modern olive oil factory, which is located in Melidoni, Municipality of Mylopotamos, was established in 1991. It is a one of a kind olive oil factory, with state of the art facilities. In our olive oil factory, every olive harvest approximately 400 tons of olive oil is produced. The technology, the know-how and the strict specifications allow us to have high quality results. The taste, the aroma and the golden green color olive oil we produce, puts us in first place in reference with our customers.

The PARASCHAKIS family olive oil factory, which is open to the public, is located in the traditional village of Melidoni in the Municipality of Mylopotamos.

The visitors have the opportunity to be guided, free of charge, through three different olive oil factories. At the first olive oil factory, the visitors have the chance to see how olive oil was produced in the past, with manually worked tools and the help of animals. At the second olive oil factory, the visitors have the chance to see how olive oil was produced with less effort, with the help of a diesel machine. The third olive oil factory, which can be seen, is the one we use today which uses centrifuge. The visitors also have the opportunity to try and buy olive oil from the Paraschakis family grove.

In ancient Greece, the olive tree was well known for its benefits and usefulness as it arises from pot and wall paintings in Crete and mainland Greece. In the Greek mythology, the olive tree is met as an extremely useful tree, not only for its fruit but also for its wood. We are aware of the myth that goddess Athena donated to the Athenians an olive tree in order to win Poseidon and be elected as the protectress of the city. Therefore, Athens took her name. The cultivation of the olive tree in ancient Greece began on Crete island at about 3500 BC, but it was soon spread to the rest areas. Evidences that prove olive trees were cultivated in ancient Greece for both eating and producing oil, which was also a comsetic, are found in Knossos, Santorini, and Mycenae as well as nearly in all Greek towns, where a great civilization flourished in the antiquity.

During the years of the Roman empire, the cultivation of olive trees was spread in the rest Mediterranean countries (France, Spain, Portugal)m while the first colonists of the new world carried olive trees there. As a result, olive tree continues to be one of the most useful trees due to its many benefits. Its fruit, olive, is a unique delicacy in every table. Its oil is considered as the richest and healthiest plant oil and is recommender for nearly all diets. Its wood, olive wood, is used in woodcarving and as firewood. Olive leaves are give to animals for food, while it can produce oil for special usage by olive's pit.

One of the main characteristics of the countries that are around the water area of Mediterranean sea is the presence of olive trees. It is almost certain that the olive tree was self planted at the Mediterranean countries since the time the first humans appeared in this area. Besides, this can be evidenced by the remnants of all civilizations developed in the extensive area.

After picking of the olives from the olive trees, the olives are transported to the olive oil factory.

We begin by extracting the leaves from the olives by vaccom. The olives are washed, till they are clean from dirt and dust. The olives are weighed, the olive oil is also weighed at the end of the procedure, so the farmers know how many kilos of olives they brought and how many kilos of olive oil they got after the procedure. Then the olives are broken with the seeds and made into a pulp. The breaking of the olive is an important part of the production. Bare in mind that many years ago, the olives were broken with three or four stones of different diameter. The last couple of years the breaking (grinding) of the olives is done with a metal breaking machine.

The olive leaves are given to the animals for food and the remaining materials (seeds) are tried used in our furnace to preheat the needing machine.

Centrifuge is the method which has prevailed and dominates on our island Crete more than 99%.

This method uses special horizontal seperators called decanters which ensure high cleaning conditions of the olive oil.

The separations and cleaning of the olive oil is done with special separating machines, which seperate the olive oil from the water and any other foreign materials that are not needed.