The "Best EVOOs - Foods of Spain", in a quick and tasty overview

What they are. These are the official awards from the Ministry of Agriculture that recognise several leading Spanish EVOOs each season. They were created to highlight quality, work in the olive grove and olive oil culture.

How they are chosen. A professional tasting panel blind tastes the finalist oils and scores them on aroma, taste, balance and complexity. Priority is given to clean, intense oils without defects, with varietal personality and a good finish.

Typical categories. There are usually distinctions based on sensory profile — bitter green fruitiness, sweet green fruitiness and ripe fruitiness — as well as recognition for the best organic oil and a Special Award for the highest-scoring sample overall.

What the label tells you. If you see ‘Premio Alimentos de España’ (Spanish Food Award) or ‘finalist/award winner’, you are looking at a high-end EVOO with meticulous traceability, early harvest and careful production. It is not the only guarantee of quality, but it is a reliable shortcut.

Winning profiles that are repeated:

Picual with notes of tomato, leaf and artichoke, very structured and with a marked bitter-spicy flavour.
Hojiblanca, more floral and herbaceous, with hints of freshly cut grass and a lingering finish.
Arbequina, aromatic and pleasant, ripe fruit, banana and apple, ideal for beginners.
Cornicabra with nerve, almond and leaf, long on the palate and very stable.

How to enjoy them. For salads and raw dishes, look for a powerful green fruitiness. For fish and vegetables, a sweeter or more mature profile works well. For stews and meats, a Picual with character enhances the dish without losing freshness.

Quick buying guide. Prioritise EVOO (not just “olive oil”). Choose early harvest and the indicated season. Choose opaque packaging and a small bottle if you don't consume it quickly. Store closed, away from light and heat.

Tasting tip at home. Warm the glass with your hand, smell for fruit, grass and almond/tomato, taste and note the bitterness and spiciness: these are signs of polyphenols and freshness, not a defect.

Final idea. The Alimentos de España awards are a compass for discovering styles and oil mills, but the best thing is to try and compare: change variety, area and profile each season and you will see how your ‘library’ of flavours expands.