To their territories of reference, as part of the project for the promotion and enhancement of Sicilian DOP, IGP and QS products organized and coordinated by DOS Sicilia, or the Association of Consortia for the Promotion and Enhancement of Typical Sicilian Agro-Food Products with the DOP Brand, PGI and QS.
An ambitious and shared project, which aims to draw the attention of the media and consumers to the territories of origin of the most significant products of this land.
“We have set ourselves important objectives of valorisation and promotion – affirms the President of DOS Sicilia Massimo Todaro – especially in the field of communication. We believe the most effective way to do this is through the educational one, with which we will be able to bring stakeholders here who will help us to better communicate our heritage of values and culture, as well as our gastronomic heritage. Certainly telling the consumer about the specifics of a product after touching it is more effective and credible”.
The Val di Mazara DOP extra virgin olive oil, with its golden yellow color with intense green hues, is distinguished by its fruity smell with hints of almond, by its velvety taste and sweet aftertaste, conferred by the fruits of the olive trees of the Biancolilla, Nocellara del Belice and Cerasuola varieties, to which are added - in an amount not exceeding 10% - also Ogliarola Messinese, Giarraffa and Santagatese. Collected and processed in the province of Palermo and numerous municipalities in the province of Agrigento.
“What gives this product its excellent quality – explains Salvatore Martorana, Director of the Consortium for the Protection of Val di Mazara DOP Extra Virgin Olive Oil – are the characteristics of the area where they are grown. The olive harvest must be carried out from the beginning of maturation and until December 30 of each year, then they must be placed in rigid and ventilated containers and stored in rooms with humidity between 50 and 60%, with the milling operations which must take place within two days of collection".
The appointment, which is aimed at consumers in general and anyone interested in learning about this Sicilian excellence, is scheduled for 10.30 am on 20 July and will be held at the “Consorzio di filiera olivicola” oil mill in Casteldaccia (PA). The program of the meeting includes an initial presentation and a guided tour of the farm, after which there will be a guided tasting of Val di Mazara DOP extra virgin olive oil by the director of the protection consortium of the same name, Salvatore Martorana and a cooking show the final.
Upcoming appointments - In total there are 17 scheduled meetings dedicated to Sicilian agri-food excellence and they all last one day. The next appointment is for July 23 with Pecorino siciliano DOP. After the summer break, meetings resume on 8 September with Pesca di Leonforte IGP, followed by Pistacchio Verde di Bronte DOP on 30 October and Ragusano cheese DOP in November. The other meetings are scheduled for the first half of 2024 and will concern the DOP Monti Iblei oil, the QS cow's milk consortium, the Pachino tomato IGP, the Novella di Ispica carrot IGP and the Piacentinu Ennese DOP. Finally, the educational activities of the QS Latte Ovino Consortium and the Agnello and Agnellone Consortium are planned for the second half of 2024.
