Spain rewards its best olive oils

On 9 April, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) the decision on the winners of the Alimentos de España Awards for the best olive oils.

The award consists of several categories, and within these, different modalities that recognise not only the flavour, but also the properties of the oils and the commitment of their producers to the environment.

To select the winners, the candidate products are subjected to a sensory evolution in which the leaders of the official tasting panels of the public administrations participate, led by the head of the ministry's own panel. In addition, the oils also undergo various physico-chemical analyses that take place at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's Agri-food Laboratory. A total of 59 samples took part in this edition.

Recognising the excellence and value of all the candidates, the jury awarded prizes in the following categories and modalities:

- Special Food of Spain Award.

- Conventional Production’ category in the “Bitter Green Fruity”, “Sweet Green Fruity” and “Ripe Fruity” categories.

- Organic Production’ category.

ABOUT THE AWARD WINNERS

This year's special prize was awarded to the oil from Almazaras de la Subbética (Carabuey, Córdoba), which is under the Priego de Córdoba Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). It obtained the highest score in the blind tasting. It is also the winner in the ‘Organic Production’ category.

This oil is distinguished by an intense fruity flavour of green olives, with hints of spices such as mint, thyme and tomato, slightly spicy.

In the three ‘Conventional Production’ categories, the winners were as follows:

- Bitter green fruity’ category. The winner was the oil presented by Almazara de Muera, from Priego de Córdoba (DOP Priego de Córdoba). This fruity green olive oil contains notes of dried grass, artichoke, mint, tomatoes and others.

- Modality of ‘Green sweet fruity’. This prize went to the Sociedad Cooperativa Andaluza Olivarera La Purísima, from Priego de Córdoba, with DO Priego de Córdoba. With a taste between sweet and bitter, and a medium intensity spiciness, this is a balanced oil with hints of citrus, aromatic herbs and banana.

- Ripe Fruity’ category. The winner was the product presented by the Centre Oleícola del Penedés, from Llorenç del Penedés (Tarragona), with the Siurana Protected Designation of Origin. They produce an intense fruity oil with ripe olives and hints of almond, apple and ripe banana. Its flavour has notes of nuts, cinnamon and vanilla.