Cherry
Maturation & availability: May – July
Cherries are a succulent and delicious fruit, with a distinctive deep red color, a crunchy texture and juicy flesh, with a sweet and slightly sour taste. A total of 13,000 hectares of cherries are cultivated in Greece, producing roughly 70,000 tonnes of fruit. This country in Europe’s South ranks amongst the first ten cherry producers on the global scale, while Northern Greece accounts for more than 50% of the Greek produce.
Peach and Nectarine
Maturation & availability: May – September
Peach is one of summer’s most delicious fruits, known by many as the “king of fruits”. It has a distinctive velvet skin and succulent flesh, while its taste is sweet yet acerbity with a unique aroma. Nectarines stand out for their intense colour, their smooth and shiny skin, juicy flavour and rich aroma. The European Union is the second largest producer of peaches and nectarines in the world. Greece ranks fifth in the global market, with most of its orchards being located in the region of North Greece. Greek peaches and nectarines possess of distinctive quality and flavour features and aromas, attributable to local soil and climate conditions and which render them identifiable and sought after around the world.
Kiwi
Maturation: August – October; availability: September – April
Kiwi is a fruit representative of winter, with a distinctive appearance with a brown, hair-like skin and juicy light green skin with edible small black seeds and a sweet and sour taste. Kiwis are an excellent source of fibers and have a very high concentration of vitamin C: just one will more than cater for the daily needs of the human body. The cultivation of kiwis in Greece has been continuously on the rise in recent years and the country now ranks third in kiwi exports on the global scale. The most popular variety grown in Greece is Hayward, which is principally grown in the Prefectures of Imathia and Pieria, in Northern Greece.
Apple
Maturation: August – October; availability: September – May
The apple tree is one of the widespread fruit-bearing trees around the world. Apples are part of human dietary history since the dawn of time and are included in several culture’s mythology. The European Union is a major exporter of apples. The varieties grown in Greece are distinguished by their quality, taste, texture and distinctive aroma. With a captivating bright colour, tight and crunchy flesh, sweet yet slightly sour taste, in a discreet and pleasant way, Greek apples are the ideal choice for a healthy desert or snack. Apples are grown across roughly 15,000 hectares in Greece and annual production amounts to 350,000 tonnes, while this is the second largest, area-wise, arboriculture of foliage, fruit-bearing trees after peach. Groves expand across the country, with a significant part of the production being located in Northern Greece, in the Prefectures of Imathia and Pella.
