Successful participation in the first Virtual Guided Tasting of Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Catalan DOP

commemorating World Olive Day, last December 27 Prodeca organized the first virtual Guided Tasting of Extra Virgin Olive Oil with the collaboration of the five Catalan Protected Designations of Origin. 

The event, broadcast live through the Prodeca website, was attended by the participation of 14 hospitality schools, which were delivered in advance of the different oils from the participating Catalan DOPs to be able to do the tasting in their educational centers. To complement the tasting experience, they were also sent apples with IGP Poma de Girona, as well as biodegradable disposable cups.

The day was led by the head of the olive oil sector of Prodeca, who gave way to the General Director of Food, Quality and Agro-food Industries of the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Food and Fisheries. Carmel Mòdol welcomed the students and emphasized what these students are become the future prescribers of Catalan agri-food products. 

M.Àngels Calvo, head of the Official Tasting Panel for Virgin Olive Oils of Catalonia, was in charge of guiding the tasting and explaining the method of organoleptic evaluation of OOVE and the particularities of the different oils of each DOP. Once the tasting was over, the presidents of the five Catalan DOPs, Baix Ebre-Montsià, Empordà, Terra Alta, Les Garrigues and Siurana, closed the day with a round of questions posed by the students. 

Oli d'Oliva, Catalan liquid gold

Protected by the five DOPs, Catalonia produces high quality olive oil, which stands out for qualities of flavor, aroma and low acidity, which are guaranteed by a fruit, the olive, of the first order, and by mechanical production techniques, which maintain all the healthy and tasty characteristics of this food.

Currently, in Catalonia there are 113 thousand hectares of land dedicated to olive trees, 14% of the cultivated area, which provide the raw material, olives, for one of the industries with the most potential: that of processing, packaging and marketing olive oil, with almost 6% of the business volume of the agri-food industry in Catalonia.