kourmades olives

The olives known in Samos as “hamades” or “kourmades” are the fruit of the local Throumpolia variety, which has been traditionally cultivated on the island for centuries. Their name derives from the process of harvesting them, as “hamades” or “kourmades” essentially means “those that fall to the ground” (hamas = low, on the ground), given that they are collected from the soil after having fully ripened and fallen naturally. Throumpolia is a dual-purpose variety, suitable both for oil production and for edible olives of the “Throumba” type, a name whose use is not permitted except for “Throumba Thasou,” as it is a PDO product.

The variety thrives even in areas with a dry environment and poor, rocky, gravelly and heavily eroded soils. Throumpolia’s resistance to these harsh conditions makes it ideal for the utilization of such areas, where other cultivated species could not thrive. Olive groves in Samos roughly cover 9,649 hectares (ha) with 1.293 million olive trees, which are distributed 55.6% in lowland areas (0–200 m), 27.4% in the semi-mountainous zone (200–400 m) and 17% in the mountainous zone (>400 m), on sloping hillsides and terraced dry-stone walls. Throumpolia is the main variety in traditional olive groves, while in recent years the planting of Koroneiki for oil production has expanded, especially after the 1970s. The particular microclimatic conditions of Samos during the ripening of the fruit play a decisive role in the unique property of the Throumpolia fruit to lose its bitterness naturally on the tree.

The traditional method of cultivation and processing of “hamades” is unique, as it requires almost no post-harvest processing to make the olive edible, differing completely from the usual debittering methods.

The Throumpolia variety is medium-fleshed, with a cylindrical-conical shape and an average fruit weight of about 3.3 grams. Its distinctiveness lies in its ability to lose part of its moisture and completely eliminate the bitter substance (oleuropein), while it is still on the tree. This natural debittering process is due to the symbiotic action of certain fungi and the specific soil and climatic conditions.

Harvesting takes place from October to December. The fruits, which have already wrinkled and blackened, fall naturally to the ground. In Samos, traditionally, the olives are eaten fresh as soon as they fall from the tree, without any further processing (e.g. brine or lye) beyond cleaning. If they are intended for commercial distribution, processing follows:

1. Cleaning: After collection, the fruits are thoroughly washed with water to remove foreign matter.
2. Preservation: For better shelf life, a small amount of salt (about 3% by weight) may be added, or alternatively they may be packaged without salt, preserved in good-quality olive oil or frozen. This minimal processing preserves the fruit’s natural characteristics to the greatest extent.

The cultivation of Throubolia and the production of the “chamades” in Samos had a deep and multifaceted impact on the island’s economy and environment. In folklore it is referred to as the first income of olive producers in the autumn months. The traditional Throubolia olive grove contributes to the preservation of the rural landscape and to protection against soil erosion, especially on sloping, poor and stony soils, where it dominates. Throubolia is particularly resistant to drought, making it a sustainable crop that makes use of naturally dryland areas, a critical parameter in the midst of climate change. Its fruit, which is eaten without the need for chemical processing, enhances Samos’s image as a region that produces high-quality, natural agricultural products, contributing to agritourism and to the island’s differentiation in the global market. Although in recent years there has been an expansion of the more oil-rich Koroneiki, the preservation of Throubolia is key to maintaining the genetic diversity and cultural identity of Samos’s primary sector.

Olive cultivation in Samos is lost in the depths of the centuries, with historical references dating back to antiquity. The ancient playwright Antiphanes wrote that the excellent quality of Samian olive oil was the standard for olive oil in the rest of Greece, while Aeschylus called Samos “olive-grown.” Throubolia is considered by some to be one of the oldest olive varieties in the Mediterranean basin. Its cultivation was uninterrupted on the island, surviving even the period of Samos’s depopulation (1476–1552 AD), with many of the existing traditional trees being centuries old, such as the “Eva Olive Tree” in Myloi, over 500 years of age. The survival and dominance of Throubolia on poor soils testifies to the variety’s deep connection with the island’s microclimate and historical agricultural practice, constituting a living monument of agricultural heritage.

The “hamades” olives are directly linked to the traditional way of life of the Samians. The custom of gathering them after they have naturally fallen to the ground reflects a respect for the tree’s natural cycle and an economy of labor, since the time-consuming and arduous picking from the branches is not required. The fruit, already sweet, soft and ready for consumption, symbolizes the abundance and generosity of Samian land. Traditionally, “hamades” accompany daily bread, pulses and lathera (vegetable dishes cooked in olive oil), constituting a basic element of subsistence and complete nutrition for farmers and shepherds. The absence of any processing places these throumpes among the “purest” and most traditional foods of the island.