Most olive oils you find in the supermarket are just pantry staples. Ptora is different. It comes from a family farm in the Lachish region of Israel, where olive trees, ancient stones, and modern techniques all sit very close together.
An Ancient History
The name Ptora comes from Horvat Ptora, meaning “Ruin of Ptora,” an ancient site near the Tamir family’s orchards and vineyards. During excavations connected with work on Israel’s major north-south highway, Highway 6, Israeli archaeologists uncovered remains of an ancient Byzantine town, including a winepress. A mikveh was also found there, pointing to a Jewish community in the area. For the Tamir family, the discovery cost them part of an olive grove, but it gave them something lasting: a name rooted in the land beneath their own trees.
The modern Ptora story begins with Tova and Shmuel Tamir, who arrived in the area in the 1950s. Shmuel had escaped Germany before World War II and later settled in what was then a barren part of southern Israel. In 1956, he turned toward agriculture, and in 1976 he planted the family’s first olive trees in Lachish.
Quality from Tree to Bottle
His son, Noam, continued the work and expanded the farm. Noam’s son Ido continued the family’s olive oil work, with a greater focus on quality, precision, and full control from tree to bottle. He brought together the older farming tradition of his family with modern knowledge, branding, and professional tasting standards. Today, Ido is a farmer, entrepreneur, certified olive oil taster, and head of an International Olive Council tasting panel. He has judged olive oil competitions around the world and spent more than two decades working in the field.
That experience shows in the oil. Ptora grows multiple olive varieties and handles the process carefully from the grove to the press. The olives are harvested early, when flavor and quality can be at their best. The production process is closely watched, because with excellent olive oil, small details matter. Timing, temperature, fruit condition, pressing, filtering, and storage all affect the final bottle, and Ptora handles each stage with care.
The result is not generic olive oil with a nice label. Ptora has earned recognition in international competitions, including awards in places like New York, Japan, and Europe.
Ptora is Part of the Restoration of Israel
Ptora’s work is a beautiful picture of the restoration you can see all over Israel: in fields, groves, vineyards, local production, and family continuity. The Tamir family took land that had an ancient agricultural past and made it productive again. They are growing olives and grapes near the remains of earlier farmers who worked the same region centuries ago. They are also helping raise the standard for Israeli olive oil today, proving that this small country can produce oils worthy of serious attention.
That is why we are excited to offer Ptora. It carries the taste of the Lachish region, the skill of a family that knows its land, and the story of Israel’s agricultural renewal in one bottle.