{"id":9051,"date":"2026-01-13T15:09:41","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T15:09:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecceukch.eu\/?p=9051"},"modified":"2026-04-16T15:10:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T15:10:36","slug":"from-curiosity-to-awareness-ecceukch-guides-consumers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecceukch.eu\/en\/from-curiosity-to-awareness-ecceukch-guides-consumers\/","title":{"rendered":"From curiosity to awareness: Ecceukch guides consumers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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From curiosity to awareness: Ecceukch guides consumers on a journey of discovery into certified extra virgin olive oil<\/h2><\/span>
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Focus on tasting to recognise the quality, origin and value of PDO and PGI products<\/h4><\/span>
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London, 13 January 2026<\/strong> \u2013 <\/em>In recent months, the United Kingdom has become a particularly interesting barometer for understanding the evolution of the extra virgin olive oil market. On the one hand, some local producers have launched the first experimental attempts at olive cultivation and oil production on British soil, a phenomenon unthinkable until a few years ago and indicative of a growing interest in this product. On the other hand, according to recent analyses, in 2025 British consumers are changing their purchasing behaviour due to rising prices, becoming more attentive to value for money and evaluating the alternatives available on the shelves more carefully. In this context, it is clear that extra virgin olive oil is increasingly present and relevant, but is this growth sufficiently accompanied by a full understanding of the product?<\/p>\n

In such contexts, where the choice of oil is often guided by factors such as price or packaging rather than genuine quality criteria, the three-year project co-funded by the European Union and promoted by the Tuscan Association of Olive Growers, OP Latium and EAC \u2013 Association of Exporters of Crete, <\/strong>steps in to support consumers and operators, who are called upon every day to make informed choices, by promoting European extra virgin olive oil in the UK and Swiss markets. This cultural gap leads to significant misunderstandings: a delicate flavour is frequently perceived as synonymous with quality, whilst an authentic extra virgin olive oil may have bitter and spicy notes, linked to the presence of polyphenols and therefore to its nutritional value. At the same time, without adequate assessment tools, it becomes difficult to understand the pricing rationale behind a certified European oil compared to seemingly similar products. The risk is that EVOO will be reduced to a mere cooking fat, losing its identity, cultural and health-related dimensions.<\/p>\n

In this scenario, tasting education becomes a fundamental tool. But how <\/strong>does one taste extra virgin olive oil? <\/strong>Tasting extra virgin olive oil involves a sensory analysis that engages sight, smell and taste: one begins by observing the product <\/strong>without being influenced by its colour, which can range from deep green to golden yellow without being an indicator of quality; this is followed by an olfactory analysis, <\/strong>gently warming the glass to bring out aromas reminiscent of fresh grass, artichoke, tomato or almond; finally, during tasting<\/strong>, the oil is aerated to enhance its aromas, allowing one to recognise its main positive characteristics \u2013 fruity, bitter and spicy \u2013 distinctive elements of a quality product, which are still rarely recognised in non-Mediterranean markets.<\/p>\n

Through educational activities, guided tastings and accessible content, Ecceukch <\/em>continues its journey with the aim of acting as a cultural bridge between European producer countries and international consumers , helping to build a new awareness: recognising a quality extra virgin olive oil means understanding the value of a certified, transparent supply chain deeply rooted in European tradition.<\/p>\n

Learning to taste extra virgin olive oil, even better if certified as PDO or PGI, means changing one\u2019s perspective: from a simple condiment to the star of the table.<\/p>\n

And it is precisely this cultural transformation that lies at the heart of the Ecceukch<\/em> project: enabling every consumer, even those far from the Mediterranean, to recognise and appreciate excellence.<\/p>\n

For further information, please visit the project\u2019s official website https:\/\/ecceukch.eu\/<\/a> and its social media channels on Facebook<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9052,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[100],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9051","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecceukch.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9051","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecceukch.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecceukch.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecceukch.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecceukch.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9051"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ecceukch.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9051\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9053,"href":"https:\/\/ecceukch.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9051\/revisions\/9053"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecceukch.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9052"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecceukch.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecceukch.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecceukch.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}