AYLİN ÖNEY TAN
The Olive Prince: Chris of Kristal
In the old days, the olive harvest was a winter affair, often stretching into late December or even the heart of January. Olives would be fully ripe, actually a bit overly ripe, but would give a higher yield of oil. Those were the days when high acidity was not considered a problem. For some, it was even a telltale of real olive taste. I remember talking about this with Christopher Dologh, the third-generation CEO of Kristal, a leading olive oil brand in Türkiye. He was saying that once that was the norm for many, especially from Arab countries, customers would prefer those late harvest olive oils with high acidity and a rather harsh taste. That kind of oil was categorized as lampante, meaning fit for burning lamps, or other mechanical uses, but not suitable for culinary purposes. Not that it was toxic or harmful to health, but still, it was too strong and overpowering for cooking. Then came the olive oil transformation, or maybe better to say revolution. People began talking about early harvest, modern pressing techniques, cold extraction methods, low acidity and so on. Across the Mediterranean, people suddenly became aware of the virtues and diverse qualities of olive oil and began discussing local olive terroirs and indigenous varieties. Chris was one of them. Maybe he was among the first here, in Türkiye.
February 01 2026
