AMMAN -- Three local olive oil producers received recognition earlier this week for winning the country's first annual contest for the best Jordanian olive oil of the season.
Raai Al Hadla's Extra Virgin Sinolea Olive Oil took first place, followed by Al Toor for Olive Products Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Al Barakat Farms EVO oil came in third, according to a statement from the organisers.
During the competition, held on Saturday, 10 local producers submitted their extra virgin olive oils to be judged by a panel of certified Jordanian and Italian tasters.
The Italian panellists arrived in Amman on March 1, as part of a delegation from the Mediterranean Association of Olive Oil Tasters (UMAO).
Melissa Singh, deputy CEO of the Jordan Olive Products Exporters Association (JOPEA), told The Jordan Times that criteria adopted for selecting the winners included the olive oil's harmony and density, noting that the extra virgin olive oils underwent tests for taste and aroma.
She added that the winners received trophies and certificates.
Part of a two-week "Jordanian Celebration of Olives," the competition brought together a range of stakeholders in the sector including millers, farmers, the Ministry of Agriculture and international organisations.
The event followed a weeklong training course in olive oil tasting given by olive oil expert Paola Fioravanti, head of UMAO.
"The olive sector in Jordan has improved a great deal in recent years," said Fioravanti, emphasising that competition is important to stimulate improvement in olive oil quality.
Fioravanti added that all of the panellists had similar conclusions about the products, and they found "high quality olive oils that could compete in international competitions".
"Our goal is to have this as a yearly event and we have hopes that it will continue to grow at a regional level, and eventually have an even wider international reach," said Musa Saket, chairman of JOPEA's board of directors.
Following the announcement of the winners' names, JOPEA and UMAO signed a cooperation agreement to support future efforts to benefit the olive sector as a whole.
According to the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) website, Jordan ranks 8th internationally in olive oil production.
The Kingdom's extra virgin olive oil is well-known for its very distinct aroma of ripened olives with hints of apple and other mature fruits with almost total absence of bitterness, according to the website.
The competition was organised by JOPEA in cooperation with the Business Development Centre, EJADA, Euro-Jordanian Action for the Development of Enterprise, Jordan Investment Board, UNIDO and USAID.
Saturday's festival at Wild Jordan Caf also included workshops on organic production, olive oil tasting and milling technology.
By Mohammad Ghazal
© Jordan Times 2006
