It was three days that extra virgin olive oil connoisseurs won't easily forget. It was truly a full immersion in a world still little known; however, thanks to successful festivals like Medioliva, is on its way to becoming part of the region's lifeblood.
Tuscan Regional President Claudio Martini highlighted the shared satisfaction that accompanied the Arezzo event. ''It was a good signal for the world of olive oil'', he said, ''that should not make us forget about the many risks faced by this industry.
''The first is global warming, which could damage the areas most adapted for olive growing. The second is the homologation of the product that could be the consequence of an open policy on the part of OGM that could damage the tradition and varieties that should remain one of the essential values of extra virgin olive oil, as well as many other products''.
Regarding tradition and variety, MedOliva did not disappoint the more than 10,000 visitors that crowded the Centro Affari's pavilion during the long weekend dedicated to olive oil that featured over 200 brands from 18 countries.
It provided a sort of panorama on how to cultivate the myriad tastes and intense smells, from artichoke to mint, from tomato to basil, to wild thistle to rosemary, in tastings that sent visitors into ecstasy.
Arezzo Province President, Vincenzo Ceccarelli, commented, ''We are very satisfied at the response from the exhibitors and from the visitors.
''We are aware that olive isn't quite as fascinating as wine, but the culture of olive oil in the Mediterranean is centuries old and is making a strong comeback. Medoliva was a bet we took and the numbers prove that we won''.
The numerous guest chefs in the cooking area were not insensitive to the fascinations of extra virgin olive oil, which they made the star of each dish presented to an attentive and large crowd.
Speaking of high quality cooking, during the closing day a competition was held to award the best emerging chef from central Italy.
After a close finish, Carmine Calo' was proclaimed the winner. He is the chef at Cantuccio in Monsampolo, located in The Marches.
Other finalists included two other names to watch over the next few years: Tuscan Luca Landi, executive chef at the Hotel Green Park Resort in Tarquinia, and Riccardo Di Giacinto, chef at Alloro in Rome.
Wine and food journalist guru Luigi Cremona presented the awards, which closed this edition of Medoliva - an event promises to be an important occasion for the olive oil industry and all those who appreciate high quality products.
