Úbeda opens the First Oil Festival with 94 early-harvest EVOO brands

The Parque Norte de Úbeda hosts from this Saturday the thirteenth edition of the Fiesta del Primer Aceite de Jaén, an event at which 94 companies offer their early extra virgin olive oils of the campaign and another six firms show cosmetics with olive oil and wood craftsmanship. The fair remains open until Sunday, November 8 at 15:00. Anyone who comes can taste and buy the first oils of the year at the stalls and take part in the parallel programme, with more than fifty proposals. Among them are guided tastings offered by the three designations of origin of the province, the Centro Olivar y Aceite de la Provincia de Jaén and the IGP Aceite de Jaén; musical and dance performances by Delia Sánchez and her flamenco group, the group «A fuego lento», the Cantores de Híspalis and «Conchita Álamos»; a showcooking and tastings by the chefs of Cibus Renacimiento Culinario, Cantina la Estación and the taberna Tinta Fina; guided visits to the monumental heritage of Úbeda and to cooperatives in the city; traditional pottery workshops and an exhibition on the gastronomy of EVOO in a dozen restaurants in Úbeda. The fair has grown since its first edition, when it brought together 27 extra virgin olive oil brands, to the current 100, as explained by the president of the Diputación de Jaén, Juan Latorre, who has pointed out that every year more cooperatives and mills want to attend with their early oils. Latorre has stated that the event is «the best showcase to show the world that our land is the main producer of quality oil». The opening ceremony has featured the pregón by the comedian and presenter Manu Sánchez and the appointment as ambassador of the fair of the olive oil consultant Juan Vilar. The inauguration has also included speeches by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, and the mayor of Úbeda, Antonia Olivares. Planas has recalled that around 20% of the world's oil is produced in Jaén and has defended the measure approved on Friday in the Boletín Oficial del Estado to withdraw 12% of production from the market and give stability to small producers. After its stop in Úbeda, the fair will move to La Coruña from November 20 to 22, with some 35 olive oil companies from Jaén.