The story between Japan and European olive oil can be described as long and prosperous.
According to the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Japan ’89% of total imports come from Europe’: a statistic that well-describes the appreciation for the best extra virgin olive oil in the country.
A love for Mediterranean cuisine that is even stronger when it comes to Italian olive oil. Who says so? The numbers. Italy, as reported by the magazine Italiaatavola.net ‘with a share of 37%, is the second European country for imports of extra virgin olive oil in Japan, the first consumer among Asian countries".
The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ICCJ) released the data last year during the last edition of Japan Olive Oil Prize (JOOP) - an international competition with more than 500 participating labels from 20 countries.
In 2021, participating oils were divided by category (PGI, DOP, Organic, Monocultivar, Blend and Flavored) and one of the winners was ‘Superbo by Americo Quattrociocchi, a producer from lower Lazio’.
The 10th edition of the competition is now approaching and will be held from April 4th to 8th 2022.
"The JOOP award ceremony has been postponed to May 13 at 6:00 p.m. Japan time (GMT+9) due to transportation delays caused by the international crisis."
As communicated by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Japan, "JOOP offers producers from all over the world a unique opportunity to promote their brand awareness in the Japanese market, also thanks to the exposure that winners receive through more than 50 promotional activities that our Committee organizes every year. The JOOP jury is composed of internationally recognized professionals from five countries. Panel Leaders: Konstantinos Liris (Greece), Michiyo Yamada (Japan) and Antonio Giuseppe Lauro (Italy). Other Jurors: Angeles Calvo Fandos (Spain), Birsen Can Pehlivan (Turkey), Hiromi Nakamura (Japan), Mariko Shimada (Japan) and Aida Lazzez (Tunisia)."
The award ceremony "will take place in Tokyo on April 8th in front of the press, experts and institutional representatives".
Another chance to strengthen the historical ties and mutual appreciation between Europe and Japan. May the best olive oil win.
Sources:
https://iccj.or.jp/it/japan-olive-oil-prize-joop-decima-edizione/
07 April 2022
