The Best Greek Fruits of all Seasons

Greece offers some of the best fruits in the world due to its mild Mediterranean climate that has always favored their production in our country.

Fruits, full of antioxidants, vitamins and fiber, not only help to detoxify the body, but also contain a large amount of water, which helps you stay cool and hydrated, which is extremely important in the heat.

Orange is one of the most well-known citrus fruits with significant nutritional value. It is rich in vitamin C and also contains sugars, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and vitamin A. In Greece, orange is grown mainly in Laconia, Argolida and the region of Arta.

1. Laconia oranges ripen faster than other varieties in the country and their juice is quite sweet. Laconia is not only one of the most important areas for growing oranges in the country, but also the area where oranges have dominated local cuisine. Used in salads as well as in local sausages, cakes, meats, sweets and cookies. It even becomes an excellent jam and dessert of the spoon.
2. The oranges of Argolida are a trademark of the Argolic plain. The excellent fruit, rich in vitamins, has been cultivated in abundance in the prefecture for almost half a century, covering about 50% of the national production. They are distinguished for their very sweet taste and intense aroma. They have thick skin and juicy, sweet flesh.
3. Arta oranges are spherical, they have a sweet and sour taste and are extremely aromatic. They are very tasty oranges and are mainly used to make juice.

The famous Peaches of Naoussa, a product of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) according to EU regulations, is the main product of the region. They stand out for their rich aroma, completely different taste and freshness since they are packed in the field as soon as they are harvested from the tree.

The mandarin of Chios is considered one of the best varieties and one of the most aromatic in the world.

It has tender and delicious flesh while it stands out for its intense aroma. Even unripe mandarins are fragrant. In fact, the aroma is so intense that it overflows from the orchards, with the result that the island has become known both inside and outside the Greek borders and as "fragrant" Chios.

The mandarin of Chios has been cultivated on the island for decades. The elements that make it special are the size and the early ripening of the fruit (something that allows the completion of the harvest before the beginning of the unfavorable winter climatic conditions), its sweet taste, its rich juice and its ease of cleaning with the hand.

The cultivation of mandarins in Chios is ideally suited to the dry climate of the region, with mild winters and cool summers, satisfactory rainfall, the small range of temperature fluctuations and the rich sunshine. The intense exposure to the sun, which contributes to the increase of the ripeness and sweetness index of the mandarin from Chios, is also favored by the topology of the areas.

In addition to its consumption as a table fruit, the Chios mandarin is the basis for the preparation of products such as juices, jams and sweets.

The Chios Mandarin has been characterized since December 2012 as a product of Protected Geographical Indication.

Kiwi is a fruit that has flourished in our country as it needs mild winters and hot, humid summers, characteristics ideal for the climate of Greece. The kiwi of Pieria is produced in the plain of Pieria. The fruit has an oval or cylindrical shape and is distinguished by the characteristic green color of its flesh, its bittersweet taste, the delicate aroma that accompanies it and its rich nutritional value. It is grown exclusively from the early Hayward variety and has been recognized since 2002 as a product of protected geographical origin.

Ermioni pomegranate stands out for its very sweet fruit, its rich juice with the lowest acidity internationally, while its stone is softer, so it is superior even in the amount of juice per kilo. The champion, however, is the variety of Hermione in antioxidant content. So it is rightly considered the best in the world! A glass of fresh pomegranate juice provides us with potassium, iron, selenium, vitamins A, B1, B2 and C. Modern cosmetology uses pomegranate with its antioxidant properties for the preparation of anti-aging products.

The most famous Greek pears are "Crystallia" or "Tsakonika", which are harvested in August, grown in Macedonia and the northern Peloponnese and represent 50% of national production. They have an elongated shape at the end where the stalk is, while they are wide at the bottom. They have a yellow-green color and white flesh sweeter than apples, with a lot of juice.

Another special variety is the famous "Kontoules", with an average fruit size of 60-90 grams. Light green on the outside, with a wonderful aroma and taste.

Pears are harvested from the trees before they ripen well, but at such a stage that they ripen without altering their taste and color.

The apples of the Agricultural Cooperative of Zagora, Pelion, are widely known to consumers by the brand "Zagorin" and are distinguished mainly for their excellent taste, as a result of the microclimatic conditions of the area. Their sweet, rich and at the same time astringent and refreshing taste, their exceptional quality, but also the reputation of apples in general for their nutritional value, rank the "Zagorin" apples in the first places of the consumer choices of the Greeks.

The apple harvest in Zagora, Pelion, starts around mid-September and ends, after a month, in October. It is a large fruit, with a spherical shape - elongated with 5 characteristic mastoid processes. Smooth-waxy bark with intense red color.

The exceptional taste of "ZAGORIN" apples is certified by the recent award in the framework of the Mediterranean Taste Awards 2021 (Mediterranean Taste Awards).

In Greece the best lemons are produced in the Peloponnese region, with the best being found in the prefecture of Corinth.

The "maglini" variety is the main one in Greece. It is a very productive variety of medium size with few seeds. The fruit is smooth, has a thin rind and ripens in early autumn. It is harvested from October to March. This variety is the basis of lemon production in our country, occupying 55% of total production.

Greek avocados, which have been cultivated for several decades in Crete - avocados arrived in Greece in the 1970s - and especially in Chania, are among the most delicious in the world. They have a buttery texture and taste and you do not need to add anything other oily because unlike other fruits it has a lot of fat.

The fats in avocados amount to 88%, however, they are beneficial monounsaturated fatty acids, especially beneficial for the body. Shield against cancer, heart, but also with anti-inflammatory substances that place it at the top of the preferences of those who care for a healthy diet and vegans.

You can find them all year round because growers use varieties with different ripening times, so there is fresh Cretan avocado available to consumers all year round.