📜 Sitia Lasithiou Kritis

Sitia Lasithiou Kritis is an EU protected designation of origin (PDO) for extra virgin olive oil from eastern Crete, around the town of Sitia in the Lasithi regional unit. It was registered by Regulation No 134/98 of 20 January 1998, on the application of the union of agricultural cooperatives of Sitia.

The area comprises the municipal units of Sitia, Analipsi, Itanos and Lefki and several communities of Makry Gialos. The land is dry and sunny: more than 2,800 hours of sunshine a year and about 479 mm of rain, falling mostly from October to March. The average January temperature is 12.2 °C, July's 25.9 °C. The soils lie on limestone, with a pH of 7–7.5. The trees are pruned so that they bear fruit every year, and the groves are irrigated for up to six months a year.

The oil is made only from Koroneiki: according to the specification, it is the only variety grown here. Harvest usually starts in November, by hand, with sticks or with machines, onto nets. No more than 48 hours may pass between harvest and processing, and plastic sacks are banned. The paste is kept strictly below 27 °C, the oil is separated by centrifuge and stored in stainless steel tanks. Acidity is at most 0.8%; since 2026 the K232 and K268 limits are 2.50 and 0.18.

The taste is balanced: the median fruitiness is at least 3, and bitterness and pungency may not exceed it by more than 2 points. The colour ranges from bright green to yellowish green. The oil has won over 30 awards, including three Mario Solinas prizes.

Why it matters to you. On the label, look for the name with the PDO indication and a code made of the Greek letters “ΣΗ”, the container number and the last two digits of the production year. Retail containers hold up to 5 l.