Learn how to taste Extra Virgin Olive Oil with a team of professional tasters:
From Olio Nuovo Days’competition: Kostas Liris, President of the jury, Dr Sonda Laroussi Mezghani, and Marcelo Scofano, panel leaders.
And to learn the truth about the benefits of EVOO, Christophe Lavelle PhD, professor of food chemistry and researcher in molecular biophysics, epigenetics and food.
An intensive 4 hours course with a crowning final:
the winners of Olio Nuovo Days 2023 will be unveiled at the end of the MASTER CLASS, on March 24th.
WHEN? March 24th from 4:00pm to 8:00pm WHERE?Bacchus Tasting Room atInstitut Le Cordon Bleu Paris, 15 quai André Citroën, 75015. WHO?Everyone can register. Special fee for the producers. WHAT?Learning and Tasting of Extra Virgin Olive Oils+ unveiled of the Winners Northern hemisphere Edition 2023. HOW TO REGISTER? Fee + Registration on request north@olio-nuovo.com
Please note that the registration is LIMITED TO 32 persons
INTRODUCTION TO THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE OLIVE TREE 15 MN*
2 hemispheres, 2 harvests.
Marcelo SCOFANO, Emmanuelle DECHELETTE
TASTING 30 MN*
TASTING OF RARE EVOOs from the 2 hemispheres :
Brazil harvested February 2023 & Canada harvested October 2022
Personal vs Objective (scientifically unbiased)
Pathways of taste
What really tastes Olive Oil?
Christophe LAVELLE PhD, Dr Sonda LAROUSSI MEZGHANI, Marcelo SCOFANO
DEFECTS OR A PROBLEM OF PERCEPTION? 20 MN*
DEFECTS smelling + THE CASE OF THE 2-DECENAL
The interesting case of 2-Decenal and of people sensitive to coriander….
Kostas LIRIS, Dr Sonda LAROUSSI MEZGHANI, Christophe LAVELLE PhD
COOKING WITH EVOO 20 MN*
Preconceived notions
Tips & tricks
Christophe LAVELLE PhD, Marcelo SCOFANO
HOW TO RECOGNIZE HIGH QUALITY EVOO ?: 20 MN*
SMELLING EVOO
Fruity evaluation tips
How to score an EVOO like in a competition
Dr Sonda LAROUSSI-MEZGHANI, Kostas LIRIS
QUALITY, TASTING & SCORING LIKE PROFESSIONAL TASTERS
60 MN*
BLIND TASTING of Olio Nuovo Days’ best scored EVOOs
Tasting evaluation
Kostas LIRIS, Dr Sonda LAROUSSI-MEZGHANI, Marcelo SCOFANO
ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS, DEBATE & CHAMPAGNE
version française
OLIO NUOVO DAYS, THE MASTERCLASS
Apprenez à goûter l’huile d’olive comme des professionnels avec l’équipe du concours OLIO NUOVO DAYS:
Master Class présentée par Kostas Liris, President du jury, Dr Sonda Laroussi Mezghani, et Marcelo Scofano, Chefs de panel.
Et pour connaitre la vérité sur les allégations santé de l’huile d’olive, Christophe Lavelle PhD, professeur de chimie, chercheur en biophysique moléculaire, épigénétique, professeur des professeurs de cuisine et spécialiste de l’alimentation.
4 heures de cours intensifs, et l’annonce des gagnants du concours Hémisphère Nord:
Les gagnants du concours Olio Nuovo Days s hémisphère Nord 2023 seront annoncés à l’indue de la MASTER CLASS.
QUAND? 24 mars de 16h00 à 20h00 OÙ?Sallede dégustation Bacchus, Institut Le Cordon Bleu Paris, 15 quai André Citroën, 75015. QUI? Inscription ouverte à tous. Tarif sur demande. Offre spéciale pour les producteurs. QUOI?Apprendre à déguster l’Huile d’Olive Vierge Extra+ annonce des gagnants de la dernière édition du concours. COMMENT PARTICIPER? Tarif + Inscription sur demande auprès de: north@olio-nuovo.com
From condiment to super food: high-phenolic olive oil is a growing trend
Polyphenols make up only two per cent of the total mass of olive oil. But these magic compounds are what make extra virgin olive oil an elixir. Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants that fight disease-causing free radicals. Numerous studies have scientifically proven the many health benefits of extra virgin olive oil, in particular its beneficial effects on cardiovascular health and cognitive function. It also lowers cholesterol levels and blood pressure, and reduces inflammation in the body. Thanks to these health-boosting powers, olive oil is much more than a condiment, it’s a healthy food. And it’s in high demand.
Some of the olive varieties known to have a particularly high polyphenol content include Coratina from Italy, Picual and Conicabra from Spain, Istrska Belica/Istarska Bjelica (Istrian White) from Slovenia and Croatia, Koroneiki from Greece, Chetoui from Tunisia, and Aglandau from France, to name only a few.
In the EU, a high phenolic oil is defined as one with at least 250mg of polyphenols per kilogram of olive oil. According to a 2012 EU regulation, the producers of olive oils containing “at least 5 mg of hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives per 20 g of olive oil” can label their oils with the following health claim: “Olive oil polyphenols contribute to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress.”
The rise in interest in high-phenolic olive oils is also reflected in the health claim award category being added to international competitions in recent years. A Health Claim prize is one of the three awards which will be presented at Olio Nuovo Days 2023, the other two being Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Best Pressed-Infused Olive Oil.
“This authorised health claim has encouraged growers to try to analyse and evaluate the polyphenol content of their oils, so in the last decade the interest of growers and consumers in olive oils with high polyphenol content is increasing,” confirms olive oil expert Milena Bučar Miklavčič of the Institute for Oliveculture in Koper, Slovenia. “As we know that pungency and bitterness are not favoured by consumers and that olive oils with high polyphenol content are mostly inharmonious, it very useful to have a health claim category at competitions.”
250mg of polyphenols per kilogram is modest when compared to the analysis results achieved by olive growers producing oil from high-phenolic varieties. Christine Cheylan, a French olive oil consultant for Domaine de Leos who also runs her own mill in Provence, has seen phenolic levels over 600 for her Aglandau oil. “Though it’s a variety that’s much appreciated for its taste, it’s only those who know about olive oil, the insiders, who are interested in polyphenol content,” she says. “Olive oil is still perceived as a condiment and is not considered for its medicinal virtues.”
Meanwhile in other parts of Europe, awareness of olive oil’s superfood status is growing. Producer and scientist Danijel Stojković Kukulin of Terra Centuria in Slovenia, describes a ‘movement’ that he first initiated because of his own appreciation of olive oil rich in polyphenols. “At the beginning there were very few people asking for high phenolic olive oils, but because of education of potential consumers, marketing and promotion, and scientific papers confirming the many benefits of high phenolic olive oil, many are asking specifically for this kind of extra virgin olive oil.”
This experience is echoed by producer Davor Dubokovič of Monte Rosso in Croatia: “The decision to promote extra virgin olive oil as a healthy option is not simply a marketing strategy, but rather a recognition of its long-standing medicinal properties,” he says. “While initially demand for high phenolic olive oil was low, education, marketing, and scientific research have led to a greater understanding and appreciation for its many benefits, resulting in more people specifically requesting this type of extra virgin olive oil.”
With an eye on increasing levels of health-boosting phenolic compounds in their olive oil, over the past few years producers have been working at adjusting harvest times and adapting production methods. “The final numbers and composition of polyphenols in olive oil are greatly affected by the decisions of a producer,” says Kukulin. “Choosing the best varieties to produce this kind of oil is the first step. The second important decision is when and how to harvest the olives. Generally it is better to harvest the olives very early when they are still unripe. Also the olives should not be damaged and processed immediately after harvest.”
The processing stage is also vital when it comes to preserving polyphenol content, according to Cheylan, the French producer and miller. “We press olives picked during the day on that same night to avoid fermentation and not lose phenolic content,” she says. “When it comes to the pressing process, to preserve the polyphenols you have to avoid adding too much water. Water is generally added in the mixing tanks, some add it to avoid jamming at the level of the grinder, and also at the decantation at the final centrifuge stage. The less water you add, the more polyphenols you preserve. When it comes to settings, there is no specific setting but of course you have to avoid heat, this is vital.”
Finally, storage is essential when it comes to high-phenolic olive oils which lose their beneficial properties quickly if exposed to heat, light and air. “The storage and bottling conditions are very important to maintain the polyphenol content of the olive oil,” confirms Dubokovič. “Exposure to light, high temperature and air can cause oxidation and degradation of polyphenols, so it’s essential to store the oil in a dark, cool and sealed container. We also use noble gas argon when filling olive oil on our filling line for each bottle separately. With this, we make a cover that additionally protects the olive oil from oxidation.”
Judging high-phenolic olive oils: more than a numbers game
Olive oils entered into the Health Claim award category at Olio Nuovo Days are required to have a certificate of chemical analysis based on the standard recognised by the European Union which reveals the level of phenolic content. However, numbers are not the only factor taken into consideration when judging a high-phenolic olive oil.
“When we are judging high-phenolic olive oils, we are first of all checking to see if there are no defects,” says Kostas Liris, Olio Nuovo Days jury chairman. “And then we give points based on the phenolic compounds and of the taste. If it’s a quality oil, it should have no defect and it should have the highest possible phenolic compounds.”
The entry deadline for the Olio Nuovo Days competition is February 10th, 2023. For more information contact north@olio-nuovo.com
To join the Olio Nuovo Days Masterclass on March 24th, register your interest by contacting Olio Nuovo Days at north@olio-nuovo.com
Olio Nuovo Days 2023 welcomes the world’s best olive oils to Paris
Pastry Chef Francois PERRET
The world’s best olive oils are coming to Paris again this March during the 7th edition of Olio Nuovo Days. The Ritz-Escoffier School at the iconic Ritz Paris on place Vendôme will be the prestigious venue for this international olive oil competition taking place from March 22nd to 24th.
Presiding over the competition is chef François Perret of The Ritz Paris, who along with an international jury of professional tasters, will select the very best olive oils in three different categories. A special design prize will also be awarded to the olive oil with the best packaging design.
Olive oils from around the world entered into the competition will be judged for their excellence through a sensory analysis, with the jury selecting finalists for the prize of Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil, as well as the Best Pressed-Infused Olive Oil category. The third award, Health Claim, will go to the olive oils with high levels of phenolic compounds, measured through a chemical analysis, combined with a balanced taste.
Pastry Chef François Perret of The Ritz Paris is Olio Nuovo Days competition chairman
“As competition chairman, I see this as a great opportunity to learn about and taste a variety of different olive oils,” says chef Perret. “Of course it’s also above all an opportunity to give recognition to the ‘artisans of flavour’ – the professionals producing olive oil with an artisanal approach.”
Named World’s Best Restaurant Pastry Chef in 2019, chef Perret has worked in some of the best kitchens in Paris and is author of French Pastry at the Ritz Paris. He also appeared in a Netflix series, The Chef in a Truck, where his mission was to reinterpret American desserts with a French accent.
Always up for a challenge, Perret is tasked with designing an original recipe using the winning olive oil of Olio Nuovo Days 2023. “I love to experiment with olive oil,” he says of the challenge. “There’s lots you can do with it. The wonderful thing about discovering new olive oils is that they give ideas and provide inspiration.”
A unique synergy between professional tasters and culinary experts
What’s unique about Olio Nuovo Days is the synergy between experienced tasters and professional chefs. While a professional taster can accurately identify the attributes of an olive oil, it is ultimately the chef who works with it as part of their culinary palette. Though it’s a somewhat new approach to olive oil competitions, it’s one that makes perfect sense.
The chef’s creation inspired by the winning olive oil at Olio Nuovo Days is always much anticipated by the olive oil loving public. At the 2017 edition, pastry chef William Lamagnère created a Tarte Tatin enhanced by the flavours of the competition’s top olive oil. This creation then became his signature dessert which he presented at the final of Le Meilleur Pâtissier (The Best Pastry Chef), the French culinary reality show.
An international competition of the world’s best olive oils
Closely accompanying the competition chairman is jury chairman, Kostas Liris, an oleologist, agronomist, olive oil producer, and master miller. Liris keeps a close eye on the competition rules and chooses the jury members, among other tasks. “It’s important for us to have tasters from different countries and backgrounds,” he says. “Every olive oil deserves an equal opportunity to achieve the correct score. It’s important to have a final result that’s representative.”
Among the eminent membersof the juryare olive oil experts Marcelo Scofano from Rio, Brazil, and Sonda Laroussi from Sfax, Tunisia, along with French culinary experts: Eugénie Béziat, Head Chef at L’Espadon at The Ritz Paris, Ludovic Depie, coffee expert at Nespresso France; Gaël Clavière, the Pastry Chef of the French Prime Minister; and Nicolas Cloiseau, creative director of La Maison du Chocolat.
The international team of professional tasters will already start their work in early March during the first stage of the judging process when they’ll each be working remotely, tasting and grading samples identified by only a number. Based on the points awarded during this first stage, a selection of olive oils will be shortlisted. Then during the event in Paris on the 22nd and 23rd of March, the final tasting will be underway at the Ritz Paris in the presence of the competition chairman and members of the jury.
The winning olive oils of Olio Nuovo Days 2023 will be unveiled on March 24th.
A chance to taste the award-winning olive oils of Olio Nuovo Days 2023
The extraordinary flavours of the winning olive oils at Olio Nuovo Days 2023 will not only be reserved for the jury. A select group of Paris chefs will be invited to a private tasting of samples of the top olive oils in each category.
As for those curious to learn about olive oil and taste the winning entries from around the world, they’re welcome to join the master class on March 24th led by the competition’s panel leaders in English and French.
The entry deadline for the Olio Nuovo Days competition for the olive oil producers is February 10th, 2023.
To join the Masterclass on March 24th, register your interest by contacting Olio Nuovo Days at north@olio-nuovo.com .
An introduction to the Chetoui variety from Tunisia with the first Chetoui to enter the Olio Nuovo Days Competition
By Isabel Putinja
Chetoui is one of the two major varieties unique to Tunisia (the other being Chemlali), among many other minor varieties. Chetoui is the dominant cultivar grown in the north of the country, though it does also thrive in the south. 20 per cent of Tunisia’s olive oil production is of the Chetoui variety.
Chetoui olive trees grow in lowland areas as well as the hilly regions of the north, covering approximately 176,000 hectares in total, about 35 per cent of the country’s area. Chetoui trees resist the North African heat well but only produce an abundant harvest every other year.
Chetoui cultivar (Domaine Adonis)
Chetoui olive oil has a particularly high phenol content, making it rich in health-boosting antioxidants. It’s described as a quality oil with character, thanks to its robust, bitter flavour with hints of grass and artichokes. Other words used to describe it include peppery, strong and complex, while its profile is described as very green or intense green.
Domaine ADONIS view
Domaine Adonis
The organic extra virgin Chetoui olive oil produced by Domaine Adonis has its origins in the hills of the Medjerda Valley near Testour in northern Tunisia. Growing at an altitude of over 700 metres, are over 60 hectares of groves planted with 13,000 trees. These include not only the Chetoui variety, but also native Chemlali and Sayali, as well as Arbosana, Picholine, and Koroneiki. 2900 of the grove’s olive trees are over 130 years old, having been planted in the late nineteenth century.
Harvest time at Domaine Adonis
Domaine Adonis collected an impressive 77 awards for its high quality oils in 2022, both blends and monovarietals. For producer Salah Ben Ayed, “Chetoui is a unique variety, though of course, each one has an equal value. It’s particularly appreciated by olive oil lovers for its intense aroma, and high polyphenol content.”
