A total of 28 samples of pure virgin olive oil from 17 oil mills in the archipelago are participating in the 2024 Official Agrocanarias Competition taking place at the Mirador de la Peña, in The iron.
The participation, with a 75% increase compared to the previous year, is led by Fuerteventura, contributing 13 samples from eight companies; followed by Gran Canaria with six samples from three companies; Tenerife with four samples from two companies; The Palm, with three samples from two companies; El Hierro, with a sample of a company; and Lanzarote with a sample of a company.
The Minister of Agriculture for the region, Narvay Quintero, along with the director of the Canarian Institute of Agri-Food Quality (ICCA), Luis Arráez Guadalupe, and the president of the Cabildo of El Hierro, Alpidio Armas, officially launched the competition on Wednesday.
The awards up for grabs include the Best Organic Pure Virgin Olive Oil from the Canary Islands and the Best Image and Presentation. Additionally, there are Grand Gold Medals, Gold Medals, and Silver Medals to be awarded in this edition.
The competition is conducted through blind tasting by eleven specialized tasters in the analysis of agri-food products, evaluating the samples without knowledge of their origins.
In the olfactory phase, the intensity of the aromas and the fruity (green or ripe) notes are assessed.
During the tasting, the product is manually warmed to approximately 28 or 30 degrees, allowing it to flow through the mouth to evaluate the overall flavor profile and harmony.
The winning productions will be revealed in the upcoming weeks at an official event organized by the ICCA.
