Catalan Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) was the star of the first “Guerrilla Dinar” organized in Spain by the Olive Oil World Congress (OOWC), held at CETT Barcelona (School of Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy). The action, conceived as a participatory and competitive gastronomic experience, brought together food influencers and gastronomic journalists who, for one day, went from being spectators to becoming cooks, testing—live—the possibilities of EVOO in the kitchen.
The initiative was built around a team-based culinary challenge, led and coordinated by the CETT team, which set the pace, dynamics, and recipes for the contest. The goal: to use olive oil as the central ingredient and explore its role across different techniques and applications.
Catalonia is an important region for olive oil production in Spain, and therefore globally, as shown by its commitment to the product through the creation of the “Premis Nacionals Millors Olis d'Oliva Verge Extra de Catalunya” (National Awards for the Best Extra Virgin Olive Oils of Catalonia). The second edition of these awards was presented on December 13 in Borges Blanques (Lleida).
The five best oils from the main producers in 2025 were Elixir Despinyolada Bio (Cuadrat Valley), Janiroc Koroneiki (Pons Tradició), Janiroc Lecciana (Pons Tradició), Janiroc Arbequina (Pons Tradició), and Elixir Bio (Cuadrat Valley).
A race-against-the-clock challenge with a jury
The Millors Olis d'Oliva Verge Extra de Catalunya were the highlights of this first “Guerrilla Dinar” organized by the Olive Oil World Congress, aimed at promoting knowledge of this product for culinary use and, in turn, encouraging its consumption. Attendees were organized into groups to prepare, in record time, several dishes designed by a CETT chef. In the end, the jury was made up of all the “Guerrilla” participants, led by Rosalba Arrufat, head of the Fruits and Vegetables and Olive Oil sector at Prodeca, and CETT chef Ricard Gil. They assessed the combination of ingredients, the presentation of the dish, the textures of the composition, and the execution to choose the winning team, made up of Rosa Mayordomo (Acadèmia Catalana de Gastronomia i Nutrició), María José Luna (Mediterranean Diet Foundation), and Marta González y Peláez (Cofradía de la Olivera).
The winning dish of this first Guerrilla Dinar was a warm salad of candied Conference pear, garnished with Camembert cheese, an oil “fantasy” in jelly and pesto caviaroli, with chocolate and panko crumble. Everything was prepared using Elixir Bio extra virgin olive oil (Cuadrat Valley), awarded in the second edition of the Millors Olis d'Oliva Verge Extra de Catalunya.
With this initiative, the Olive Oil World Congress and its collaborators consolidate a format that combines learning, creativity, and gastronomy to bring olive oil culture to new audiences through a participatory experience.
To date, the OOWC has the support of institutions such as the International Olive Council (IOC); CIHEAM; the Mediterranean Diet Foundation; and various public and private entities, such as the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha, with its Campo y Alma brand; SOM Gastronomia of the Government of Catalonia; Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, through “Alimentos de España” (Foods of Spain); Portugal’s Ministry of Agriculture and the Sea; and the Madrid Institute for Rural, Agricultural and Food Research and Development (Imidra), as institutional sponsors. In the private sector, the congress is supported by AgroBank; GEA; the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Association; Gallo; and Filippo Berio.
Anyone interested in participating can obtain information through the OOWC Technical Secretariat by calling +34 917 217 929 or emailing info@oliveoilwc.com.
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