The SA Olive Awards remains the pinnacle event on the South African industry’s calendar, celebrating the dedication and pursuit of excellence among local producers.
In this Farmer’s Inside Track episode, Benedetta Lami and Reni Hildenbrand, SA Olive tasting panel members, share insightful knowledge on judging procedure, rules, regulations and so much more.
READ NEXT: Extra virgin olive oils: SA Olive Awards celebrate excellence
Celebrating 18 years
Now in its 18th year, the SA Olive Awards were created to honour the olive oil industry in South Africa. It continues to be the highlight of the South African industry’s calendar as it acknowledges the hard work and the strive for excellence of local extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) producers.
“It is a celebration of the top quality EVOO produced in this country. Consumer confidence is key to building a strong industry. The awards highlight the quality of our local olive oils, and it therefore builds the confidence of consumers when buying local extra virgin olive oil,” Lami explains.
Lami adds that the competition only accepts entries of EVOO produced in the current season. Entries must be 100% South African and made by South African producers registered with SA Olive. “For an olive oil to be classified EXTRA VIRGIN, it must meet certain criteria: a chemical analysis with specific parameters and a sensory analysis done by a tasting panel to determine the oil is defect-free,” she says.
In this episode, they also discuss:
- Judging procedure;
- Why the panel is made up of local and international judges;
- And how the competition benefits local producers.
Want to know more? Listen to the full episode of Farmer’s Inside Track.
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Option 3: Click here to listen on Google Podcast.
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