Savantes in Europe 2010

The 2010 Savantes course in Seville was again a great success this year. For more details on the course please click here.

Small classes on olive oil: taste and sensory evaluation

A number of people have asked me about the possibility of my holding small one-day classes on the basic theory and practice of tasting olive oil. As I result I have held a number of such events in the last year and plan to continue to do so on demand. Numbers are kept to a minimum of six or eight and classes are held either in London or Brighton.

There is a possibility of a course in Brighton on Tuesday 20th July and to email me at jridgway@oliveoil.org.uk if interested.

1L Doypack Pouches for Olive Oil

Terra Rossa of Jordan is packing its 1st Cold Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil in these new floppy packs.  The advantages are said to be that cost is lower than glass containers and transport costs are also far less. They are made of black PET which protects the oil from sunlight and which is recyclable.

I am not sure how user friendly the packs are as they are awkward to hold and pour and may not remain upright as the oil in them reduces.  I should be interested to hear how users find them in practice.

New Product News:

This is a section which I have decided to add to my website for everyone who is interested in good artisan-produced food. On my travels I sometimes come across foods which are so good I want to tell everyone about them and this is one way of doing so.

You will not find olive oils listed here as I do not endorse particular oils. Nor do I endorse the products that appear here but they are products which I have enjoyed and which I think are worth seeking out. I hope that you will enjoy them too.

Watch this space for more finds in the coming months.

Tortas de Aceites:

I came across these wonderful cripsy and flavoursome olive oil biscuits at breakfast in my hotel in Seville. I devoured them with orange juice and yogurt for an excellent morning snack but they are also very good with coffee or at any time you feel the need of an energy boost.

The brand at the hotel was Ines Rosales and you find out more about them at www.inesrosales.com.

Delicioso in the UK stock three kinds of these Tortas from Upita de los Reyes, a very traditional family-run company in Sevilla.  The three types are the original one, ‘saladas’, a lightly salted one, great with cheese, and ‘almendras’, which has chopped almonds and crunchy sugar.  

For more information and sales go to: http://delicioso.co.uk/index.php

Photograph Acknowledgements:

• Breslich and Foss Ltd • Dorling Kindersley Books
• Macmillan Books
• Piatkus Books
• ICEP, Portuguese Trade and Tourism Office