Naturally Greek

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ABOUT US Arteat is Agapi Pattakou and

Katerina Kariyianni, is a range of natural and hand made Greek products from the land of our fathers, Crete and Messinia, Greece.

It is a dream to diffuse round the world selected gastronomical treasures of traditional Greek diet, being synonymous with health and longevity.

PHILOSOPHY We chose our products with

the sole desire to return to the fundamentals of Greek diet as handed down to us by Hippocrates. We followed the trail of the Inotropes, Elais, Spermo and Ino, whose grandfather God Dionysus conferred to them a unique charisma: “to derive from earth olive oil, wheat and wine".

According to mythology the Inotropes provided in abundance grains and foods to those arriving at the Oracle of Dilos for a prophecy. Their names intimately linked to the three basic products of Greece, olive oil, wheat and wine.

PHILOSOPHY Believing that we need

nothing more than the "basics“ …

We offer products that are born out of nature, products such as olive oil, honey and herbs.

We recommend hand crafted products prepared the way our grandmothers taught us, such as wild artichoke in olive oil, pickled bulbs, xinohondros (frumenty), and grapemust.

We bring together traditional recipes with modern gastronomical trends in a wild artichoke paste.

We use only ancient natural conservatives, oil, lemon and vinegar.

We make available only such quantities of our products as our land permits us annually.

PHILOSOPHY We recommend simple ways

to savour them, providing to each offspring of the Greek land the handling it well deserves.

The complete array of products on our offering constitutes an almost full daily menu of healthy and tasteful foods to be had as appetizers, or for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert even.

Arteat’s products

Wild artichoke in olive oilPrepared according to the traditional Cretan recipe. Preserved exclusively in natural ingredients - lemon and vinegar and kept in extra virgin olive oil thus maintaining unaltered its texture and rich flavor.

ARTEAT suggests

A "Regal" appetizer which can accompany almost anything from ‘raki’ to a fine whiskey or vodka. Alternatively it can flavor any salad, especially a Greek salad.

To be kept in a cool place. It can be consumed within four weeks of opening or preserved in the fridge for at least one year.

Wild artichoke in olive oil

A little taste of History… If you thought it was only by chance

that artichoke grew during the springtime, you are mistaken. Nature has with supreme wisdom and great care set the growth and wilting periods of all its goods. Artichoke with its antioxidant agents arrives at our dinner table in March to offer us the detoxification needed after the winter period during which all the fatty and heavy foods have been consumed. But artichoke is not only healthy but exquisitely tasteful too, especially wild artichoke which is famous for its distinctive flavor and aftertaste.

Early harvest extra virgin olive oil

Virgin green olive oil of the famous koroneiki variety of olives, from the Kariyianni family olive grove in Pylos, Messinia. The olive oil's shiny green color is owed to the chlorophylls of unripe olives which give it its antioxidant properties. The slightly bitter, spicy and intensely fruity taste combined with the aromas of freshly cut unripe olives make for a unique green olive oil. The harvest of green olives is carried out late October and it is processed at low temperatures so that the olives' beneficial properties are preserved intact.

ARTEAT suggests The distinct taste of early harvest

extra virgin olive, known as agourelaion in Greece, is more intense in the early period of its production up until March. As time goes by, green olive oil loses its intense flavor but not its beneficial nutritional ingredients.

Early harvest extra virgin olive oil

A taste of History… “Immortal” and “invincible” are only

but a few words that have been used to describe olive trees by writers and poets among which our very own Menis Koumantareas. Inspired by its emerald green color and its divine grapes out of which comes olive oil. Olive oil has been for centuries the source of life and livelihood for the society and economy of Mediterranean peoples and nowadays scientifically proven to provide a shield of protection to our well being.

The antioxidant action of green olive oil's phenolic ingredients has been demonstrated in the European study EUROLIVE ("The effect of olive oil consumption on oxidative damage in European populations") which was presented in 2006 on the behalf of the EU.

Early harvest extra virgin olive oil

A taste of History… Furthermore the monounsaturated

fatty acids present in high concentrations in green olive oil have been recognized as providing the protection needed against cardiovascular conditions even by the strictest public authorities such as the American Food and Drinks Association (FDA).

Although the above mentioned studies were not conducted using a specific type of olive oil, scientists in Greece and abroad agree that early harvest extra virgin olive oil contains the highest concentrations of polyphenols and is therefore considered as being of a superior quality and value.

Pickled bulbs Bulbs or "askordoulaki" as Cretans

name the bulbs of the plant with the botanical name muscari comosum, which grows up in the mountains and deep into the earth. Well known for their tastefulness, the method of their preparation follows closely the traditional recipe. Boiled in salted water so long as to remain crispy and stored only in vinegar and olive oil with no added conservatives.

ARTEAT suggests Serve with a few drops of early

harvest extra virgin olive oil , as a snack to accompany tsikoudia, whiskey or vodka. Bulbs can give a distinctive flavor and color to a cucumber, parslane and onion salad or to any green salad of your choice. Bulbs can accompany any dish with pulses or meat, where finely chopped garlic leaves and mint can also be added.

Pickled bulbs Stored in a cool dry place, bulbs

should be consumed within 4 weeks of opening or they can be stored in the refrigerator for at least a year of the time of opening.

A little taste of History… The method of preparation and

conservation of bulbs goes way back in a time when the need to survive dictated to the Cretans the ways of cooking but also conserving the year round whatever grew on their land, from askordoulakous (bulbs) to thistle. Nowadays only a handful of producers occupy themselves with the picking of bulbs making them a unique and hard to find product.

Dittany of Crete The most famous of the Cretan

endemic plants with its green-gray leaves, violet blossoms and exquisite aroma. Dittany of Crete is known for its therapeutic properties especially as regards healing stomach aches but also as a splendid tonic drink.

ARTEAT suggests Enjoy a dittany of Crete beverage

with 1 gr. of dittany in 100 gr. of water. Bring water to a boil and add dittany. Let the beverage cool for 5 minutes of the stove and strain. Optionally add honey, although probably unnecessary since dittany of Crete is sweet in and of itself.

Dittany of Crete A little taste of History… Dittany of Crete or erontas ("love") is

the name given by Cretans to Origanum dictanmus. Dittany from mount Dikti (Lasithiotika prefecture in Crete) where in the past it lay in abundance and erontas ("love") since it is considered an aphrodisiac. The story goes that as way back as the middle ages the enamored would climb up the mountains of Crete to gather this divine plant and offer bunches of sprigs to their loved ones. In Minoan Crete and in Ancient Greece it was considered one of the most important pharmaceutical plants. Hippocrates prescribed plant cures to aid all manner of ailments, and considered dittany of Crete useful for stomach aches and complaints of the digestive system and as a poultice for healing wounds, as well as inducing menstruation.

Barley rusk bites Flavorsome barley rusk bites. Hand

crafted with leaven and double baked by Nikos and his family in Rethimno Crete, in a traditional wood burning oven, its unique taste owed to exactly that. Being rich in fiber, it is indispensable to a healthy and well balanced diet.

ARTEAT suggests Barley rusk bites are a great

accompanying treat to all sorts of appetizers, deeps and salads. Savor them with a Greek salad or with xinohondros soup or even plain for a crunchy, tasteful and healthy snack. Alternatively “deep” in water or in extra virgin olive oil.

Barley rusk bites

A little taste of History… "Help yourself to what we have, rusks

and olives" is how you will be welcomed in any Cretan home you find yourselves. The daily bread of the Cretans is indeed dried bread, rusks, an invaluable ingredient of the proverbial Cretan hospitality but also of the famous Cretan diet. Established due to the fact that it withstands time, holding its flavor and quality intact. Rusks helped Cretan women, who followed their men around all day through their daily rural tasks, do without daily kneading.

Wild artichoke paste Made of the "heart" and leaves of wild

Cretan artichoke with only lemon, vinegar and extra virgin olive oil acting as preservatives, so as to keep its distinctive taste unaltered.

ARTEAT suggests Artichoke paste, a great snack with

Cretan rusks or freshly baked bread. Alternatively used in salads, dressings or pastas.

Store in cool dry place. To be consumed within four weeks of opening or stored in the refrigerator for at least a year.

Wild artichoke paste

A little taste of History… If you thought it was only by chance

that artichoke grew during the springtime, you are mistaken. Nature has with supreme wisdom and great care set the growth and wilting periods of all its goods. Artichoke with its antioxidant agents arrives at our dinner table in March to offer us the detoxification needed after the winter period during which all the fatty and heavy foods have been consumed. But artichoke is not only healthy but exquisitely tasteful too, especially wild artichoke which is famous for its distinctive flavor and aftertaste.

Grapemust Must concentrate from the liatiko

variety of grapes that has been cultivated ceaselessly for years on end by Pattakogiorgis at his vineyard at the foot of mount Kedros across mount Psiloritis. A 100% natural product free from alcohol, conservatives and sugar and subtly aromatized with bay leaves, preserving intact the aroma and taste of a different time, a time when grape syrup was the sole sweetener Cretan households had in hand.

ARTEAT suggests Savor its strong flavor and aroma with

fluffy pancakes. Grapemust can also be used instead of sugar in your coffee or tea and in the place of honey in a vinegar salad dressing. Use grapemust to marinade pork meat before cooking or roasting but also to dress cheeses or yogurt to be had as desert. Grapemust can mix exquisitely well with a seasonal fruit salad in which you can also add nuts and sesame.

Grapemust Grapemust can be stored out of the

fridge so long as it is kept in a cool place.

A little taste of History… Grapemust nutritional properties and

its use in cookery and confectionery are well known since antiquity. Characteristic of the fact is the reference of the biologist, gastronome and orator Athineos (end of 2nd century AD to the beginning of 3rd century AD), to a recipe for cooking fish with grapemust. For a long time grapemust was replaced by sugar but it has made a strong come back, acquiring the place it deserves in our daily diet. Apart from its flavor and aroma grapemust also offers energy and is rich in iron and calcium. It is also considered and excellent expectorant (mucolytic agent). A spoonful of grapemust is a time old medicine the perfect way to counter a sore throat.

Thyme honey Fine thyme honey from bees that

travel the year round all over Crete. From Mires departs our beekeeper Stefanos to transport his hives all around Crete, from Sitia to Chania. Thanks to the variety of pasture lands the bees feed upon the honey that is produced brings together the rich flavor and aroma of thyme with that of the many different aromatic herbs that grow across the Cretan mountains.

ARTEAT suggests Add a spoonful of honey as a

sweetener in a dittany of Crete, cistus creticus or sage beverage and savor with barley rusk bites. An ideal choice for breakfast or dinner. Drizzle some honey over Cretan mizithra or graviera and enjoy an excellent dessert. Mix two spoonfuls of honey and one spoonful of cinnamon in a glass of warm water and consume as a medicinal beverage before breakfast or at night before going to bed.

Thyme honey Store in a cool place. The original

thyme honey is very resilient to crystallization.

A little taste of History… It boggles the mind to think that

honey, the most precious, the most nutritious and the healthiest of all natural sweeteners is produced without ever being touched by a human hand and that it remains unaltered through time. Hippocrates and most physicians of antiquity recommended honey to be taken as a medicine in many cases. Regular use provides vigor and boosts longevity.

Xinohodros The beloved frumenty of Crete, made

of the finest ingredients: goat milk, coarsely ground wheat, olive oil and salt. Tasteful and nutritious due to its preparation method following the traditional recipe of our grandmothers.

ARTEAT suggests Xinohondros soup with ARTEAT barley

rusk bites, Mediterranean dried chili peppers (bukovo) and lemon zest is a special gastronomical treat which has to be tasted, either as a first course or main dish.

Its taste and quality can be preserved for at least after a year of production.

Xinohodros

A little taste of History… In the days of mid August during the

period of fasting, Cretans still made use of the milk that they gathered from sheep and goats. They kept it in ceramic urns with coarsely cut salt and oil. When the fasting period came to a close the milk was boiled with ground wheat, turned into chunks and laid out on rooftops on sheets or rushes until it dried out. Xinohondros being the final product of this process would be placed in cloth pillowcases until the following year. One thing is for certain, xinohondros is the Cretans favorite soup, their "breakfast for champions" of older days so as to say, which was served with rusks (dry bread) and a glass of wine before heading off to hard work in the fields.

19 Aischylou str. Agia Paraskevi 153 43, Athens, GreeceTel: + 30 215 5 701 101Mob: + 30 697 9981 672mail: meetarteat@gmail.com