The History of Lakonía Greek Products

The story of the Greek olive begins in the region of Lakonía, which lies at the southeast end of the Peloponnese peninsula. Lakonía’s warm rocky hillsides along the Mediterranean provide an exceptional climate for growing olive trees. Home to the ancient Spartans, olive cultivation in this area can be traced back to 1500 BC, and since then the olive has been a vital part of Greek culture as well as the Mediterranean diet.

Our story begins centuries later when Daphne Contraros Rioux, founder of Lakonía Greek Products, was growing up in a small village in this region. Although Daphne has lived most of her life in the U.S., she rediscovered her roots in the 1990’s while visiting relatives in her homeland. It was then that Daphne encountered Lakonía’s exceptional olive oil, and became intrigued with its high quality and smooth, rich taste. She realized how superior it was to the olive oil available back in the U.S. Before long, Daphne acquired land in the area that was rich with olive trees, located on the outskirts of a small fisherman’s village called Gythio. Daphne used her first harvests to produce small amounts of extra virgin olive oil and Kalamata olives to share with family and friends. Demand grew, and soon Daphne found herself planting hundreds of olive trees.

In 2006, Daphne began selling her products at the local farmers’ market in Saco, Maine. Soon after, her children Melissa and Michael graduated from college and dedicated themselves to the family business. We now proudly offer our selection of Lakonia’s finest from our family to yours.