"Guerrilla Dinar", a gastronomic event to showcase the best extra virgin olive oils of Catalonia

CETT Barcelona (School of Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy) hosted the first edition in Spain of the Guerrilla Dinar, a gastronomic format promoted by the Olive Oil World Congress (OOWC) with the aim of promoting knowledge, use and consumption of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO).

The initiative set a team culinary challenge, directed and coordinated by CETT, with the aim of working with extra virgin olive oil as the central ingredient and showing how its organoleptic profile can transform the final result of a recipe. The participating teams prepared several dishes designed for the activity, such as confit tomato tartare with smoked sardine, roast pear tartare with brie cheese and pumpkin and courgette carpaccio with oil powder, demonstrating the versatility of EVOO in contemporary cuisine.

CETT Barcelona, a space for training and experimentation

The event brought together journalists and influencers specialising in gastronomy, who took on an active role as participants in a team culinary challenge. During the session, attendees went from opinion leaders to cooks, putting on an apron to experience first-hand the gastronomic potential of EVOO in different preparations.

The Best Extra Virgin Olive Oils of Catalonia were the stars of the Guerrilla Dinar. These oils were recognised at the second edition of the National Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards of Catalonia, presented recently in Les Borges Blanques (Lleida).

Catalonia has established itself as a benchmark region for olive oil production nationally and internationally, with a clear commitment to quality, differentiation and product appreciation. In the 2025 edition of the awards, the five award-winning oils were:

• Elixir Despinyolada Bio, by Cuadrat Valley
• Janiroc Koroneiki, by Pons Tradició
• Janiroc Lecciana, by Pons Tradició
• Janiroc Arbequina, by Pons Tradició
• Elixir Bio, by Cuadrat Valley

And in the category of the 5 best oils from small producers:

• Salar d’Arbúcies, by Molí Salar d’Arbúcies
• Coll de l’Alba Morruda, by Xavier Guilera Ximenis
• Arbor Sacris, by Miliunverd
• Oli de Marges – Masia Can Calopa, by L’Olivera
• Identitat Olive Oil Empeltre, by Identitat Olive Oil

A participatory jury with technical criteria

The dishes were assessed by a participatory jury made up of all those attending the Guerrilla Dinar. The deliberation was led by Rosalba Arrufat, head of Prodeca's Fruit and Olive Oil sector area, and by the CETT chef Ricard Gil. The assessment criteria included the combination of ingredients, visual presentation, textures, the use of oil as the recipe's central element and overall technical execution.

The winning dish of this first edition was a warm salad of confit Conference pear, with Camembert cheese, an oil-in-jelly fantasy and pesto caviaroli, with chocolate and panko crumble. It was prepared with Elixir Bio extra virgin olive oil (Cuadrat Valley), one of the oils recognised at the National Awards. The dish was presented by the team made up of Rosa Mayordomo (Catalan Academy of Gastronomy and Nutrition), María José Luna (Mediterranean Diet Foundation) and Marta González y Peláez (Cofradía de la Olivera).

Promoted, among others, by the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food through the Directorate General for Agrifood Companies, Quality and Gastronomy, this action forms part of  its work promoting Catalan food, with the emphasis on quality, origin and the product's added value. Initiatives such as the Guerrilla Dinar help strengthen knowledge of extra virgin olive oil among key opinion leaders and bring olive oil culture closer to new audiences.