The six establishments that love extra virgin olive oil the most

BarcelonaAt the first presentation gala of the Guide to the Best Extra Virgin Olive OilsThe restaurants Disfrutar in Barcelona, ​​El Sindicato in Tarrés (Garrigues), and Castell de Peralada (Alt Empordà); the Oli y Sal store in Barcelona; the sommelier Ferran Vila; and the oil consultant Anita Zachou received awards for their work in promoting the properties and qualities of extra virgin olive oil. All six emphasized the importance of promoting a product that is produced with such high quality in Catalonia.

Chef Oriol Castro, from the world's best restaurant, Disfrutar in Barcelona, ​​stated that they have always made a point of bringing bread and extra virgin olive oil to the table on their tasting menu. As committed chefs, they have been part of the Siurana Protected Designation of Origin scholarship since its inception, which grants scholarships to the best projects submitted from culinary schools. Upon receiving the award (a box containing the ten best award-winning olive oils), chef Oriol Castro commented that, from now on, the publication of the guide will be "a helpful tool to share with chefs and customers who visit them from around the world."

The Tarrés Union also sells oils

For his part, Òscar Balsells, from the restaurant El Sindicat in Tarrés, confirmed that diners can find up to twenty different oils at his establishment, but he assured that from now on he will add even more. At El Sindicato, they also sell bottles of oil: "We get fed up with selling," said Balsells.

In turn, sommelier Toni Gerez collected the award with tips to practice at home to use up any remaining cheese tips. "Follow these tips: place the cheese in a bowl with extra virgin olive oil and add a sprig of thyme, and you'll see that you'll end up with an extraordinary cheese," said Gerez, adding that since the Castell de Peralada restaurant's inception, extra virgin olive oils have taken over. "You think we're very close to France, and by inertia, diners who come to us from France would ask for butter, but we offer them oils made with traditional varieties from the Empordà designation of origin." Revealing the region through oil is a welcome message from the restaurant.

Sandra Stefani, owner of the Barcelona store Oli i Sal, noted that she has been selling olive oils for nineteen years and always tells customers that the product they are tasting is luxurious. Sommelier Ferran Vila highlighted the rich aromas of olive oil, and consultant Anita Zachou emphasized the quality of the product produced in Catalonia. She endorsed this with her experience as a taster for the University of Jaén and as a member of the jury for the awards for the best extra virgin olive oils.

The gala closed with remarks from the Regional Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Food, Òscar Ordeig, who reported that they are working to ensure that bottles of extra virgin olive oil, like other local foods, include a QR code on the label that will indicate the product's traceability. This should ensure maximum transparency and information, which is not currently the case. how he explained theNow We Eat, because currently an oil produced in Jaén can be packaged in Catalonia and the label shows the Catalan address, as if the product came from here.

The minister also emphasized the importance of having influencers who promote the quality of Catalan olive oils, especially given that olive trees account for 15% of the country's olive oil cultivation area. "The history of our country could be told through olive oil, and for all of this, we need to generate critical consumers who care about the local economy," said Ordeig. He noted that consumers are needed to value what is produced close to home, and whose purchases are not dependent on what arrives from the other side of the world. Finally, the minister confirmed that the competition for the best olive oils will be held again this year, and that it will be hosted by Les Borges Blanques.