Under this engaging title, Executive Director Jean-Louis Barjol will be giving a talk at the educational seminar the IOC is putting on this year at the Summer Fancy Food Show soon to take place in New York City from 29 June to 1 July. In his presentation Barjol will guide his audience through the different grades of olive oil, explaining what makes it so special and how to harness all its flavour in the kitchen. Focused exclusively on olive oil and organised in cooperation with the Speciality Food Association, the seminar will also be addressed by Eryn Balch, Executive Vice President of the North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA), who will speak about what the American consumer really thinks of olive oil. The seminar will be held on Monday 30 June from 9 to 10.30 a.m. in the Jacob Javits Center (Room 1E07).
The Fancy Food Show is the largest speciality food and beverage show in North America, bringing together more than 2400 companies from 80 countries that will have 180,000 products on display. More and more olive and olive oil producers from IOC member countries are opting to be present at this renowned international event, which also congregates influential chefs and leading experts in panel discussions, talks and demonstrations of all types.
A gathering of this type is a unique opportunity for the IOC to spread the word about olive products. So, after getting the green light from the IOC Council of Members at their recent 22nd extraordinary session in Madrid on 2–6 June, the Executive Secretariat proposes holding the prize giving ceremony for the two editions of the IOC Mario Solinas Quality Award in the exceptional setting of Fancy Food in order to showcase the best extra virgin olive oils entered for this competition. The first edition of the Award, directed at oils from the northern hemisphere, will be held in January while the second will be in June and will be oriented for oils from the southern hemisphere.
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