There are more and more award-winning olive oil brands on China’s market, so how can you learn more beneficial information for your life and business through an international olive oil competition, and bring you real value?

Through an international olive oil competition, you can learn the rules of the competition, which countries produce olive oil, what kind of oil can win awards, what defective olive oil cannot be bought, how to pair different flavors of extra virgin olive oil with food, through which channels you can buy or be agent for award-winning brands of olive oil, and how much and how long-lasting the commercial value of olive oil is.

Since its first successful event in 2006, China International Olive Oil Competition (Oil China Competition) has always followed the standards set by the IOC (International Olive Council) to select outstanding, high-quality extra virgin olive oils from the entries that are worth recommending to importers, distributors, and consumers.

2026 21st China International Olive Oil Competition (click the “Winner List of the 2026 Olive Oil Competition” or scan the QR code below to get the detailed list and winning brands), nearly 150 olive oils from 14 countries and regions, including Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Türkiye, France, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Brazil, Argentina, Jordan and China, participated in the competition.

The awards for this competition are divided into four categories: Light flavor, Medium flavor, Intense flavor, and Organic. The purpose of this classification is to enable different flavors of extra virgin olive oil from around the world to be recognized by oil tasters, while also adapting to different consumers’ varying levels of acceptance for the fruity, bitter, and spicy flavors of olive oil. This award-winning category can effectively meet the different needs of different consumer groups.

New atmosphere, new production area

In addition to the long-standing olive oil producing countries such as Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, etc., whose olive oil is still the protagonist of 21st Oil China Competition, more and more emerging countries and relatively small olive oil producing countries are actively participating in 21st Oil China Competition, while also actively paying attention to the Chinese market, such as Algeria, Brazil, Argentina, Morocco, and Jordan. Do South American countries such as Brazil, Chile, and Argentina also produce olive oil? Yes, they also produce olive oil, which is suitable for cultivation in the latitude range of 30 to 45 degrees north and south. Some areas of South America are located between 30 and 45 degrees south latitude.

Here we share an award-winning company from Brazil, Vinicola Essenza Winery. Their three submitted samples won two gold and one silver awards in this competition. This winery has always adhered to the concept of bringing the best experience home, from operating a wine estate to an olive estate, to dining, culture, and tourism. They produce high-quality extra virgin olive oil, showcasing its flavor, quality, and nature. For more information, please visit their website.

（photo from vinicola essenza’s website）

Another interesting enterprise is RBK Group in Saudi Arabia, which is a diversified business group company that operates olive oil in Jordan. They produce high-quality extra virgin olive oil in the traditional Jordanian way and demonstrate their commitment to sustainable agriculture, traditional farming methods, and uncompromising quality with every drop of olive oil from the Holy Land. The 5 samples submitted by RBK Group under the name of PETRA brand won 3 gold medals, 1 silver medal, and 1 bronze medal in this competition. They hope to continue participating in the 22nd China International Olive Oil Competition in 2027, where you will have the opportunity to taste these extra virgin olive oils from the holy land of Jordan at the awarding ceremony and olive oil tasting event.

What can you learn from this international olive oil competition? How to effectively utilize the award list?
The list of winners for this competition includes the name, brand, country of production, website, and specific awards and taste categories of the winning companies。

If you want to purchase olive oil from award-winning brands, you can search for award-winning brands on domestic shopping platforms, or purchase them online on foreign shopping platforms or websites of award-winning companies. Of course, if you have the opportunity to travel or engage in business activities abroad, you can also directly purchase olive oil from award-winning brands at supermarkets or retail stores abroad. Some students of our 2024 sensory course of Chinese olive oil tasters referred to the winning list of the 19th China International Olive Oil Competition in 2024 and directly purchased the award-winning brand of olive oil from foreign websites.

If you want to import or distribute award-winning brand extra virgin olive oil, you can directly click on the website of the award-winning brand to contact the manufacturer or contact us directly. We will assist you in contacting the award-winning enterprise for free, and we will not charge any fees to buyers or sellers.

You can also add the following official account of Olive Oil Information Network: olive oil life, and you will receive articles and videos about award-winning brands in succession. Here, you can also learn detailed information about award-winning brands, including channels for purchasing award-winning brand olive oil online.

Regarding the Defects of Participating Olive Oil

What defects have occurred in this competition? The main defects in taste include: wine vinegar, fusty, and mud sediment. In fact, these defects are also common in many so-called extra virgin olive oils on the market. When choosing extra virgin olive oil, we must avoid purchasing olive oil with these defects. How to avoid it? Become an internationally certified olive oil taster or follow our article on the secrets and methods of selecting olive oil The secrets and methods for selecting olive oil）， Smell and taste more.

（photo from BICCHIERINI-BLU-IOC’s website）

Regarding flavor classification and food pairing

The awards for this competition are mainly divided into Light flavor, Medium flavor, Intense flavor, and Organic categories. You can choose your favorite winning brand of olive oil based on your acceptance of the taste. In addition, different flavors of extra virgin olive oil can be matched with different flavors of food. The food here can be all kinds of food, not limited to all kinds of dishes, but also various staple foods (rice, bread, Mantou, etc.), snacks, drinks, desserts, etc. Because good extra virgin olive oil is like a natural juice, with fresh fruit flavor, natural bitterness and spicy pungent taste, more importantly, it is not greasy, different from other edible oils, so premium extra virgin olive oil can bring more imagination. You can directly pour it over various beverages (juice and coffee), salads, rice bread, snacks, desserts, and dishes. You can also pair mild flavors of extra virgin olive oil with relatively light tasting foods, moderate and heavy flavors of extra virgin olive oil with rich tasting foods. You can even try using different flavors of extra virgin olive oil to match different flavors of food according to your preferences and cook your own “creative dishes”. The weight of taste is also related to the amount of natural nutrients contained in extra virgin olive oil. The heavier the taste, the more antioxidants and anti-inflammatory substances such as polyphenols, squalene, vitamins E, K, and carotenoids are contained in extra virgin olive oil, which is also more beneficial to our health and longevity.

（photo from fivegroveoliveestate’s website）

In short, through an international olive oil competition, you can buy high-quality extra virgin olive oil, discover different flavors of extra virgin olive oil paired with different foods, and discover long-term business opportunities. By using it, you will benefit. The most important thing is that it can change your lifestyle, improve your cognitive taste, make you healthier and more energetic.