Did you know that, according to the 2024 EVOOLEUM guide, Spain produces the best olive oil in the world? A staggering 61 of the top 100 olive oils in this leading ranking come from Spain.
As a seller and enthusiast of Spanish olive oil, I have always said that it is the best in the world. The figures from the EVOOLEUM guide confirm this once again. This prestigious guide, also cited by the Spanish Minister of Agriculture, shows why Spain is not only the largest producer but also the undisputed leader in quality.
In this blog, I delve deeper into what makes these Spanish olive oils so special and how you can discover them.
EVOOLEUM
The 2024 EVOOLEUM guide has recently been published, in which an expert panel judged various olive oils submitted from around the world. EVOOLEUM is a guide published by Group Mercacei-Edimarket Editores, who publish several weekly and monthly trade magazines. The EVOOLEUM guide is a leader in the olive oil industry.
Of course, I am critical of this, as the trade magazine is written in Córdoba, Spain, and the competition is in Spain. However, it is one of the internationally recognized professional competitions and is the most authoritative competition in Europe, alongside other major international competitions such as: Mario Solinas Quality Award (International Olive Oil Council), NYIOOC – New York International Olive Oil Competition, Flos Olei, Athena International Olive Oil Competition.
The competition has several conditions for participation; for example, a minimum of 2500 liters of extra virgin olive oil must have been produced, and that stock must be accessible for 30 days during the competition for possible re-sampling. In addition, the olive oil must be chemically tested or comply with ISO 17025. 980 samples were submitted from 12 different countries.
However, a press release from the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food led me to look at the EVOOLEUM awards. Based on a statement by the minister who claimed that Spain produces the highest quality olive oil in the world, something Spanish farmers and olive oil producers can be proud of.
If you also look at olive oil production in recent years, you can see that Spain is the largest producer in Europe of the highest quality class of olive oil; extra virgin olive oil that stands out with an acidity of maximum 0.8%.
Source: Agridata
Spanish olive oil, the best olive oil in the world
I delved into the figures from the EVOOLEUM guide. The guide lacks an overview of the results. You can easily see which olive oils are in the top 100 per country, but an overview is missing, so I simply counted them, and this is the result.
Source: EVOOLEUM top 100 guide
Although the very best olive oil, according to the expert panel, comes from South Africa, this top 100 shows that Spain is still dominant in the world of olive oil. A remarkable 61 of the 100 olive oils on the list are Spanish, with 45 of them from Andalusia. Moreover, several Spanish olive oils are represented in the top 10. This confirms that Spain belongs to the absolute world elite.
I am curious how other international competitions will fare and if this trend will continue. Through this blog, I will keep you informed of new developments!
Curious or not yet fully convinced? Discover Spanish olive oil for cooking or exclusive olive oil and order today in my webshop!
Curious about the best olive oil from the Valencian Community? Señorios de Relleu, crowned as the best olive oil from this region, achieved an impressive 95 points in the prestigious Flos Olei guide and a place in the top 20 of EVOOLEUM. With an exceptionally low acidity of just 0.1%, this extra virgin olive oil guarantees excellent quality.
