Spanish Food in the 21st Century: Olives, olive oil, whites and rosés from Navarra

Olive oil is one of the most frequently consumed products of the Mediterranean diet of Spain.
In this last class we will take a look at the history of olive oil in the Iberian Peninsula, its uses and classifications. We will explore why Spain has bet on monovarietal olive oils rather than blends and how to use them. We will look at new food pairing classifications exploring the new app GastrOleum with its recipes, restaurants and classifications. We will debunk the myth of not using olive oil for frying and other myths associated with olive oil. Also you will learn how to choose the best and freshest olive oil and how to store it.
We will explore Jaen, the largest olive producing province of Spain and visit the cities “that olive oil built” of Baeza and Ubeda, both World Heritage Sites for their Renaissance architecture.

From the first olive oil restaurant trolleys of the 1980’s, to the olive oil caviar of chef Ferran Adria we will review traditional and modern production processes and iconic dishes that use olive oil. We will taste 4 monovarietal extra virgin olive oils and make a simple gazpacho, confit oranges with olive oil and taste a fish “escabeche”, an “escalivada” de Catalan salad of eggplant, pepper and onion.

The tasting will include the pairing of some of the products with white and rosé wines from Navarra.

Blanca Valencia was born in Spain and raised in Latin America. She has a Grand Diplome from Le Cordon Bleu (London). Among other places, she has developed her professional career in Books for Cooks (London), El Bulli Hotel (Seville), El Alambique cooking school (Madrid) and has worked with iconic Spanish food brands through her work for a specialty food importer (Chicago). Her classes combine cooking, history, economy and pop culture.