Striking oil | Auckland Food | Wineries and Restaurants in Auckland

We grow and produce our own these days, but an expat of Crete urges us to taste the stuff from his homeland, writes Sharu Delilkan.

Mike Fiolitakis came to New Zealand in the early 1970s and his devotion to his heritage came with him. The Cretan cuisine, rich in olive oil, is a staple of his diet, having been born and raised in Heraklion, the island of Crete's largest city.

"I found it very difficult to adjust to the Kiwi way of eating when I first moved here," says the owner of El Greco Imports, of an era in which olive oil was rather hard to find in Kiwi stores. "I couldn't find any Greek products. It was particularly tough to adapt, since olive oil is in our blood."

And since olive oil "has always been a passion of mine, I felt it made sense to introduce olive oil from my hometown".

Mr Fiolitakis is extremely excited about using his debut at the Food Show Auckland 2010 to teach Kiwis how to appreciate the Knossos range of olive oils.

The Food Show is the country's only show to bring such a large number of top celebrity chefs, food, wine, organics, Fairtrade and kitchen gear together. Big draws are demonstrations by prominent chefs, among them Al Brown, Stefano di Pieri, Josh Emett (Gordon Ramsay's second in command), Peter Gordon and Richard Till.

This year the show, in its 11th year, aims to top last year's 41,458 visitors.

Besides olive oil, Mr Fiolitakis is on a crusade to educate Kiwis about the food that's close to his heart. "We hope to start posting recipes on our website to teach people more about Greek cooking. Our cuisine is based on freshness with olive oil used to enhance the taste of the ingredients.

"My main aim is to dispel the myth that Mediterranean food is unhealthy."

The Food Show Auckland 2010, ASB Showgrounds, 217 Greenlane Rd West, Epsom, July29-Aug 1, 10am. Tickets: see www.eventfinder.co.nz