TERNI – Great success for the “Olioooh” event which took place in Bct organized by Slow Food Umbria. Also in front of many students from the Casagrande-Cesi Hotel Institute. During the day, the Guide to Extra Virgin Olive Oils 2024, Slow Food Editore, was presented, awards were given to the best extra virgin olive oil producers and the actor Massimo Manni guided the participants in an “olfactory awakening” experience.
The initiative began following Slow Food Italia’s request to include food education as a compulsory subject in school. The event took place as part of the Pnrr M1C3 project – Intervention 2.1 – Attractiveness of historic villages – Cesi. Starting from the fateful question: “Is the product I’m about to buy really worth the amount it costs?”, the president of Slow Food Umbria, Monica Petronio, replied: “We need to rebuild the relationship between the consumer and the producer, even beyond what it says on the label and really understand, with our 5 senses, our palate, if we like that product, satisfy us, read if it is produced respecting nature, talk to the producer, even visit the company and get to know each other better . Ultimately, a purchase is an act of trust.”
The awards to the producers of the best extra virgin olive oils in the Guide went to the following companies: Cm (organic oil mill); Marfuga (organic DOP; sassente); Tenths (emotion; n51); Viola (almanac; shelter coast); Batta (dop organic; extra organic); Sambuchi (PDO organic vignolo); Antonelli S.Marco (organic Satriano locks); Tega (cardinal oil); Fontanaro (organic peace oil). Then the moment of “awakening”, in which the participants were accompanied by the performance of the theater actor, as well as president of the Cooperativa di Comunità Surgente of Avigliano Umbro which deals with the management of the Fossil forest of Dunarobba, Massimo Manini: «Being at the head of the Cooperative, for me issues such as the safeguarding and protection of the environment and nature are particularly important – states Manini – In my daily commitment there is not only the activity of actor and director, but also the preservation of the world that surrounds us surrounds.”
The actor’s performance was inspired by the readings of the sacred scriptures, moving from the religious world to the purely artistic one. So much so that Manini explained: «It is fundamental to start from a concept that everyone knows to arrive at the artist’s point of view. I tried to give my interpretation on why man attributes meanings and symbols to the olive tree rather than to other trees. Through an intervention of projected images, whether pictorial or sculptural, to the point of analyzing strictly anthropological suggestions. We are in an era that calls us to awareness and care. In a context in which we create smog and use oil, it is essential to talk about these issues and every opportunity is a good one to reiterate this concept.”
Blindfolded, the participants became familiar with the main aromas to be found in quality oils: tomato (sauce or leaf), freshly cut grass, artichoke, almond and dried fruit, and much more, which, after a moment of disorientation, everyone had began to recognize with ever greater certainty. Then we moved on to tasting the oils awarded for 2024, under the guidance of the two Slow Food experts Saverio Pandolfi (Umbrian contact person for the guide) and Roberto Mariotti (Cnr researcher and expert taster), according to the OILBAR formula, a bar with real professional waiters (alberghiero students) who know how to explain and propose the different oils based on their organoleptic characteristics.
In closing, at the Plaza bar some dishes “constructed” in the form of “tapas” by the Slow Food expert Federica Battaglini were tasted starting from the taste of the oil used and from some Slow Food Presidia from our Region.
