What’s Happening at New York International Olive Oil Competition?

The third edition of annual NYIOOC will take place at the Mondrian Soho from April 13-15, 2015 at the International Culinary Centre in NYC. This highly anticipated event contributes to promoting awareness and raising the standard of one of the country’s favorite oils through exciting public conferences to discuss the modern culture olive oil and industry trends.

A distinguished group of speakers spanning the business, nutrition, media, food studies, olive oil production will explore the cultural importance of olive oil today.

Invited panelists include Dorothy Cann Hamilton, the founder of the International Culinary Center and Steven Jenkins, Fairway Market’s Cheese monger and the taste maker for the company’s olive oils. Both are driving forces behind the state of the artisan food industry in the United States today.

Seminars, tastings and culinary demonstrations throughout the city will be open to food industry professionals, aspiring chefs and everyone else.

The Global Olive Oil Summit will also include a tasting of some of the world’s finest and rarest extra virgin olive oil and host the largest and most prestigious olive oil quality competition in the world, with 700 participants from 25 countries.

Judges include prominent figures in the olive oil and artisan food world, including Eleftheria Germanaki from the Greek Accreditation Authority, Dr. Brígida Jiménez Herrera from the IFAPA de Cabra and Eataly’s Chief Olive Oil Specialist, Nicholas Coleman.

While the judging is closed to the public, the contest winners will be unveiled at a highly expected press conference and reception on Wednesday, April 15th that will celebrate 2015’s best olive oil brands.

With $1.15bn sold today in America, olive oil accounts for 8% of total fats in the country, a number in constant increase.

With high demand and fertile land, America is a market ripe for olive oil production and has begun producing its own olive oil. While fairly new and nascent, some of the finest olive oil in the world is currently produced in America (http://www.crushbrew.com/american-olive-oil-producers-where-are-the-new-places-for-olive-oil-in-america). The Olive Press and Enzo Olive Oil both received a Best of Class award last year respectively for their exceptional Picual extra virgin olive oil, an aromatic press with pungent notes black pepper, almond and walnuts and their organic extra virgin olive oil.

In 2013, olive oil producers from America had a very strong showing and won 36 awards, the third highest number of overall awards for a country before Italy (83 awards) and Spain (51 awards). They won 37 awards last year.

For more information on the 3rd edition of NYOOC, visit the nyoliveoil.com website.