Longtime ago, before Corfu started off in tourism, the Corfiot butter and the goat cheese were very famous allover Greece.
Wine is one of the products that Corfiots continue to produce. As they grow several varieties of vineyards, they produce all kinds of wine, for all tastes.
The number one product on Corfu is for sure olive oil. Almost all the surface of the island is covered with olive trees. There are approximately 4 millions olive trees from the same variety, a Venetian one: small olives, tasty and oily. The olive tree has always existed around the Mediterranean, but so intensively planted, we encounter it during the Venetian dominion which started in 1386 and ended in 1797. The Venitians decided to get the monopoly of the olive oil trade in the Mediterranean from the hands of the Genovese. They then thought of transforming Corfu in a large olive grove. They encouraged the inhabitants of the island in planting olive trees by giving them subsidies. So people then planted everywhere olive trees and this is how for centuries and centuries olive oil became number one product on this island.
One of the most unusual products of Corfu is the KUM KUAT, a little orange originally from China (Golden fruit). The first plant was brought to Corfu by a British gentleman in the year 1860. Since then a sweet liqueur, candied and glaced fruit were produced. Today it is a real local product of Corfu.
The first source of income on Corfu is Tourism. Almost 70% of the population live from it. Tourism is seasonal on the island of Corfu, starting from the end of April till the end of October. Most of the tourists come from European countries with charter flights from big and small cities directly to Corfu airport during the summertime.
