One of the most productive villages of Lesvos is Parakoila. It is 51.7 km away from the city of Mytilene. In the embrace of the gulf of Kalloni, “beside the valley” was hidden the “Andronikada” (old name of the village) chased by the Agarines, among the orange groves with the intoxicating aromas, the all-green plain, the pines and the rhododendrons (Rhododendron lutenm unique in their kind in all of Europe) and spends her dreams on the beautiful beaches, on the forest paths in the olive groves and on the rivers.
We loved this place and wanted to keep it alive.
That is why in 2001, eleven young women with respect for the past, knowing that with collective efforts the living conditions in the village can be improved, we founded the Agrotourism Cooperative for Women of Parakoila.
We were active in the production of sweet preserves looking for old, forgotten flavors (orange, bigarade, mandarin, lemon, bergamot, fig, quince, zucchini, bagel, tomato, watermelon, azure, eggplant, grape, olive, chickpea, bean, potato, rose, plum, celery root, etc.) of jams and handmade pasta (handmade barley, wholemeal noodles, hachles, trachana, pasta with vegetables, etc.) homemade liqueurs (pomegranate, ginger, sour cherry, lemon, orange, etc.), natural Kalloni salt, various pies and baked goods.
Characteristic of our place and the Cooperative is the neratzath (flower water) distillate from the orange leaves of the orange grove, a medicine for indigestion, as the locals say, a lotion for the face and a wonderful aromatic for our sweets.
