SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 30th October (EUROPA PRESS) –
A total of twelve salts (six types of virgin sea salt and six fleur de sel) are vying in the Official Agrocanarias Competition to claim the title of best production in the Archipelago.
La Palma is hosting this event organised by the Government of the Canary Islands through the Canary Institute of Agri-Food Quality (ICCA), in partnership with the Cabildo of La Palma, with the objective of boosting the marketing of local products via the recognitions granted within the framework of the competition.
To achieve this, a panel consisting of expert tasters specialising in the evaluation of agri-food products assesses the samples submitted (six from Gran Canaria, two from La Palma, two from Lanzarote, and two from Fuerteventura) using a blind tasting method, meaning they do not know the identities of the productions being judged.
At the event’s presentation, held at the Meliá La Palma Hotel in Puerto Naos, the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty for the Government of the Canary Islands, Narvay Quintero, emphasised that the Canary Islands “produces approximately 2,600 tonnes of salt each year, a commodity that forms part of our history, culture, and landscape, which is marketed beyond the islands, not just to Europe but also to other destinations like the United States.”
The director of the ICCA, Luis Arráez Guadalupe, noted that in this edition “the salt flats of La Palma have once again been able to participate in this contest following the volcanic eruption, presenting a high-quality product, not only for the Canary Islands but also suitable for export abroad.”
Additionally, the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Animal Welfare and Food Sovereignty of the Cabildo of La Palma, Alberto Paz, highlighted the significance of “a key product that we often overlook but possesses strong foreign demand from influential markets such as the Middle East.”
Furthermore, the mayor of Los Llanos de Aridane, Javier Pérez Llamas, expressed his appreciation for conducting this edition of the competition “in the municipality most impacted by the volcanic eruption, and particularly for the prominence that salt has gained in recent years, a product that also contributes to the creation of highly recognisable landscapes.” “We shall continue to support initiatives like these that promote our local products,” he added.
The technical director of the event, Zebina Hernández, explained that the tasting involves “an organoleptic analysis utilising all senses – sight, smell, taste, and touch – evaluating criteria such as purity, cleanliness, brightness, and a fragrance as close as possible to the freshness and flavours of the sea.”
In addition to competing for the special distinction of ‘Best Agro-Canary Sea Salt 2024’ and ‘Best Innovation, Image and Presentation 2024’, this round includes the award for ‘Best Organic Sea Salt of the Canary Islands 2024′, which can only be granted to products registered under the organic production operators’ file and achieving the highest score across all categories.
Beyond the distinctions, in each of the contest categories (virgin sea salt and fleur de sel), three prizes will be awarded based on the scores received: grand gold medal, gold medal, and silver medal.
The rewarded companies will have the right to use a label recognising the award they have achieved, which can be displayed on the awarded products of the same type until the next edition of the contest takes place. The labels or packaging of the awarded products will be showcased at the ICCA facilities until the subsequent contest edition and during the promotional activities organised by the Institute.
TWO CATEGORIES
Virgin sea salt is defined as that which is exclusively harvested from the natural action of wind and sun, collected manually and rinsed solely in the crystalliser, without the addition of any other ingredients.
Fleur de sel comes from the floating layer of crystallised salt on the surface of the water within the crystallisers, produced solely through the influence of wind and sun, and it is gathered manually without washing or adding any components.
To partake in Agrocanarias in this category, the fleur de sel grains must be easily disintegrable and breakable with simple finger pressure, and the granule size has to be less than 3 millimetres.
