‘Gastronomic trip’ gives Alentejo olive oil to chefs and critics
Twelve chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants, olive oil tasters and international food critics will take a trip through the Alentejo to visit olive groves and wineries and sample olive oils from the region between Tuesday and Saturday.
The ‘gastronomic trip’ aims to “prove” the region’s olive oil to Michelin-starred restaurant chefs, olive oil tastings and gastronomic critics from five strategic markets for the product, namely Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Sweden and the United States , explained the promoter, the Center for Studies and Promotion of Alentejo Olive Oil (CEPAAL).
According to CEPAAL, based in Moura, in the district of Beja, the program of the trip, the second of the kind promoted this year, includes visits to olive groves and wineries, tasting of oils in “pure state” and tasting of dishes “inspired and harmonized “with olive oil from the Alentejo.
Brazilian Geovane Carneiro and Irishman Ian Doyle, respectively chefs of the D.O.M (Brazil) and Oaxen Krog (Sweden) restaurants, both with two Michelin stars, are two of the participants in the trip.
Participants include US professional sommelier Curtis Cord, who is the editor of the Olive Oil Times portal, the world’s “most-read” industry information source, and chairman of the prestigious New World olive oil contest. York International Olive Oil Competition ‘.
In addition to the trip, between Tuesday and Saturday, CEPAAL will promote an Alentejo olive tasting action in the TAP premium lounge located at Lisbon airport.
The trip and the tasting action are promoted within the framework of the CEPAAL project to promote Alentejo olive oils in foreign markets.
CEPAAL intends to “make known” to new markets the Alentejo olive oils and their production companies with the objective of “giving collective visibility” to the products, contribute to increase exports, boost the economy and “give more competitiveness” to the sector in the region, which in the 2017/2018 campaign produced 78% of Portuguese olive oil.
The project “Promotion of Alentejo Olive Oil in External Markets” is co-financed by the community funds through the Regional Operational Program Alentejo 2020.
