More than 500 Catalan hospitality students take part in the Guided Tasting of Extra Virgin Olive Oil of Catalonia

To mark World Olive Tree Day, Prodeca organised the 5th Guided Tasting of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) of Catalonia with the collaboration of the five Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) for Catalan oils: Terra Alta, Baix Ebre-Montsià, Empordà, Siurana and Les Garrigues. This initiative aims to promote the virtues of PDO Catalan oils among future gastronomy opinion leaders training at Catalonia's hospitality schools to become maîtres, chefs or sommeliers

The initiative involved more than 500 students from 17 hospitality schools across Catalonia. This edition kept the activity split over two separate days to enrich the learning experience: a guided tasting and a seminar on culinary applications.

Guided tasting in Catalonia's hospitality schools

Between 17 and 21 November, the training centres carried out guided tastings independently, following a video tutorial by Àngels Calvo, head of the Official Tasting Panel of Virgin Olive Oils of Catalonia.

Prodeca coordinated the delivery of the oils to the schools and, to complete the tasting experience, also sent apples certified with the PGI Poma de Girona, as well as single-use biodegradable cups. Teachers were also given the support materials needed to run the tasting, including information leaflets on EVOO, the five Catalan PDOs and a table mat with numbered circles. Students were able to explore the attributes of extra virgin olive oils, delving into the sector's specific vocabulary. 

Seminar on culinary uses of EVOO

The second day, held today 26 November, focused on the culinary applications of extra virgin olive oils. Gastronome and communicator Pep Nogué presented a live seminar in which five traditional dishes were creatively reinterpreted, each associated with a Catalan oil PDO. Students had the chance to take an active part by asking questions of the speakers, Pep Nogué and Àngels Calvo.

The dishes prepared, exemplifying the versatility of Catalan oils in the kitchen, were sardine escabeche with pomegranate emulsion and Empordà EVOO (PDO Empordà), cod with romesco and EVOO emulsion (PDO Siurana), an omelette in capipota jus with picada oil (PDO Terra Alta), orelletes with melon and EVOO snow (PDO Les Garrigues) and pastissets de Tortosa with chocolate cream and EVOO (PDO Baix Ebre-Montsià).

The 17 participating hospitality schools:

• CETT (Barcelona) 
• Escola d'Hostaleria d'Osona (Tona)
• Escola d'Hoteleria de Lloret de Mar (Institut Ramon Coll i Rodés)
• Escola d'Hoteleria del Pallars (Institut Hug Roger III) (Sort)
• Institut Abat Oliba (Ripoll)
• Institut Baix Empordà de Palafrugell
• Institut Cavall Bernat (Terrassa)
• Institut de Gastronomia de Barcelona
• Institut Dertosa (Tortosa)
• Institut d'Hoteleria i Turisme de Lleida
• Institut d'Ostalaria de Les-Val d'Aran (Les)
• Institut Escola d'Hostaleria i Turisme de Girona
• Institut Escola d'Hoteleria i Turisme de Cambrils
• Institut Joan Ramon Benaprès de Sitges (Sitges)
• Institut Martí Dot (St Feliu de Llobregat)
• Institut Olivar Gran de Figueres (Figueres)
• Jesuïtes Sarrià-Sant Ignasi (Barcelona)

The Guided EVOO Tasting of Catalonia is an initiative promoted by Prodeca and the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food of the Government of Catalonia, with the collaboration of the five Catalan PDOs and the Official Tasting Panel of Virgin Olive Oils of Catalonia.