Olive oil celebrated for healthy living

Olive Oils from Spain held a demonstration and tasting event in Beijing on June 14 to invite Chinese consumers to experience high-quality products and reveal the many uses of the amber liquid in cooking.

Olive oil consumption in China has continued to rise in recent years. In 2022, the sales of Olive Oils from Spain in China reached 45.571 tons, an increase of 6.15 percent. In the past two decades, sales of olive oil from Spain in China market have increased 400-fold.

Alfonso Noriega, chief economic and commercial counselor, embassy of Spain in Beijing, attended the event and said: "Olive oil is one of the bases of the Mediterranean diet and one of the elements that make Spanish gastronomy one of the healthiest and tastiest in the world. It is not by accident that Spain is among the five countries in the world with the highest life expectancy, over 83 years."

Alfonso Pino, counselor of agriculture, fisheries and food, at the embassy in Beijing, said that China is the second-largest consumer of Olive Oils from Spain, outside of the European Union. "With the enhancement of the awareness of Chinese consumers for the healthy diet and consumption upgrading, we are very optimistic about this dynamic and potential market," he said.

Teresa Perez, general manager of Olive Oils from Spain, said: "Olive Oils from Spain is very popular among Chinese consumers. We will continue to bring quality products to China, advocate a healthy, balanced diet among Chinese consumers and strengthen our footprint in the Chinese market."

Chef Gu Chao, founder of Shanghai Chef Alliance, brought two dishes that used Olive Oils from Spain. The first dish was grouper in Olive Oils from Spain with clam sauce and vegetables, which showed the versatility of Olive Oils from Spain in cooking. The second was Mediterranean style stewed chicken with Chinese flaky pastry, which is the perfect fusion of the Mediterranean and Chinese diet.