Kalamata

Extra virgin olive oil produced within the administrative boundaries of Messinia, Peloponnese, from olives of the Koroneiki variety with a maximum of 5 % from the Mastoeidis variety. The specification sets maximum acidity of 0,50 g per 100 g of oil, a peroxide value not exceeding 14 MeqO₂/kg, and defines permitted ranges for oleic, linoleic, palmitic, stearic, and palmitoleic acid content.

About this designation

Kalamata PDO olive oil is registered under file number PDO-GR-0037, with EU protection dating from 13 June 1997, and is identified in the eAmbrosia register under EUGI00000013017. The protected names are Καλαμάτα and Kalamata. The geographical area is defined as the entire regional unit of Messinia, a subdivision of the Peloponnese region, bordered to the north by the river Neda and the mountains of Arcadia, to the east by the Taïgetos, to the south by the Gulf of Messinia, and to the west by the Ionian Sea. The oil must derive principally from the Koroneiki variety, with the Mastoeidis variety permitted up to a maximum of 5 %. Cultivation, production, and milling must take place solely within Messinia; olive mills must be located within the boundaries of Messinia. Olives must be transported and milled within 24 hours of harvest. During malaxation and all other processing stages, the temperature of the olive paste must be kept below 27 °C. Malaxation lasts 20 to 30 minutes. Fruit that has fallen to the ground must not be harvested for milling. Storage of the finished oil must be in stainless steel tanks at a temperature not exceeding 24 °C. Each label must carry a code in the format KA/label serial number/last two figures of the year of production. Bottling may take place within or outside the defined geographical area, provided a reliable traceability system is in place.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 13 June 1997 under file number PDO-GR-0037; eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013017.
• The specification permits no variety other than Koroneiki and Mastoeidis; Mastoeidis may not exceed 5 % of the blend.
• No more than 24 hours may elapse between harvesting and production of the oil; fruit fallen to the ground must never be used.
• Each label must carry the code KA/label serial number/last two figures of the year of production.

Tasting notes

Peloponnesian EVOO and table olive POP from Messinia (Kalamata area). **Olive oil:** Koroneiki cultivar, intensely fruity-green, robust bitter-pungent profile, characteristic notes of fresh herbs, green tomato, peppery finish — among Greece's most prestigious EVOOs. **Table olives:** distinctive almond-shape, deep purple-black color, firm meaty flesh, intensely savory salty-vinegar flavor — the iconic "Kalamata olive" of global Mediterranean cuisine.

HoReCa use

**Foundation of Greek and broader Mediterranean cuisine** — Olive oil drizzled on tzatziki, on grilled fish, in salata Horiatiki, as cooking oil; Kalamata olives in Greek salad (essential), on antipasto/mezze boards, in tapenade, in pastries.

Packaging

• Oil: glass-bottle-250ml
• glass-bottle-500ml
• glass-bottle-750ml
• tin-3L
• tin-5L. Olives: jar-glass-200g-brine
• jar-glass-500g-brine
• jar-pitted-200g
• vacuum-pack-200g
• bucket-1kg
• professional-bulk-3kg

Seasonality