EVOO at the ICC

We received an invitation a few months ago (December to be exact) to attend a workshop and hands-on cooking demonstration at the International Culinary Center in Manhattan. With all of the “fake oil” controversy out there, Extra Virgin Olive Oil was the perfect subject for this evening of baking and education.

We, along with other members of the media, were greeted with small bites, creative olive oil martinis (delicious) and finally aprons that we donned. As we made our way to the kitchen for the baking portion of the event, and were directed to personal baking stations, I noticed that the ICC had pre-measured our ingredients so that everyone could participate with ease. The group was guided by pastry chefs as we all mixed our own batch of gluten free “Kitchen Sink” cookies made with chocolate chunks, walnuts, dried cherries, coconut flakes and, of course, extra virgin olive oil, which was taking the place of butter in our recipe. We later tasted other desserts baked by the ICC that all used EVOO as the “fat” in the recipes.

The second treat of the evening was that Eataly’s head oleologist, (expert on all things olive oil) Nicholas Coleman, was there to share his knowledge with us. While our cookies were baking we moved into a room full of tables and took our seats for a presentation about extra virgin olive oil. Mr. Coleman then lead us through how to properly taste and choose the best ones and how to avoid olive oil forgery.

The Flavor Your Life Campaign, which sponsored the evening, is working to educate consumers looking to buy quality olive oils. Here are some of their top tips Nicholas shared to keep in mind the next time you go shopping:

-Look for monocultivars, not blends, when purchasing your EVOO; that way, you begin to avoid buying oils claiming to be extra virgin that are in fact adulterated with other substances.

-When reading an EVOO label, you should be able to trace the origin of that bottle and the harvest/crop date. If you cannot, then don’t purchase it.

-The best olives are early harvest olives, when they’re green.

-Properly stored EVOO can last up to a year in yourpantry, and should be stored in a cool, dark environment, making sure your bottle is kept airtight.

The Flavor Your Life campaign is an E.U.-funded campaign created to educate consumers about the olive oil industry and explain how important traceability is to allow consumers to track where there oil is coming from.

Many consumers, including us, would feel more confident about buying a bottle of olive oil if they could trace its origins and determine exactly what they’re getting. It gives the bottle its own story that people can engage in. This way consumers are more informed and aware of the choices they have and the different prices available on the market.

We made our way back home with our delicious cookies, a great bottle of extra virgin olive oil and a newfound understanding of how to purchase quality EVOO.