In the Varampas fields, in Mesogeia of Attica near the town of Markopoulo, the day of harvesting pistachios began very early.
At 6 a.m., I arrived at the Koropi metro station, where I met many people—some speaking foreign languages—heading to work. Perhaps some of them were going to fields like mine…
From there, my friend, whose family had inherited the pistachios from his grandfather—one of the first to plant pistachio trees in the area—picked me up. We drove through the fields as the sun began to rise.
[sunrise over the fields in Varampas, Attica]
Preparation
Before the harvesting could begin, we cleared the area of weeds and spread large cloths with nets on the ground. These would catch the pistachios as they fell when we struck the branches with long sticks.
[sheets spread out under the pistachio trees]
Harvesting
After preparation, we began striking the branches. Pistachios rained down onto the nets, and we gathered them carefully. The work lasted until midday, around 12:00–1:00 p.m., when the heat became intense.
[When striking, we had to be careful not to hit the nut itself, but the branch near it.]
Bagging
One of the important tasks was “bagging”: cleaning the pistachios of leaves and branches and placing them into large sacks. These sacks were then loaded onto a car to be transported for processing.
Small Discoveries
The experience was more than just work. In the fields, we encountered turtles, watched eagles soaring high, and noticed airplanes passing constantly overhead, reminding us that nature and human activity coexist.
The Result
The Varampas pistachios we harvested, are of exceptional quality, rivaling even the pistachios of Aegina.
It was a tiring but unforgettable experience, one that brings you closer to nature, the land, and its fruits.
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