Spanish kitchen story

In the extreme southwest of Catalonia, nestled in the gentle lowlands between the rugged Prades Mountains, the vineyards of Priorat, and the beach of Costa Daurada, the fertile olive groves of Baix Camp cover an area just 20 kilometres wide. The small town of Riudoms can be found in the heart of this area. Salvador Dalí spent his summers right around the corner in the coastal town of Cambrils. This is where Josep-Maria Mallefré refines the art of making olive oil.

He kept his father’s enthusiasm, but has changed many other things. A new mill has been standing beside the older machines for quite some time. It is smaller than the old one and is made of shiny stainless steel. “Tradition is important to us, but the quality of the oil is more important,” he says, shrugging his shoulders. Until the 1990s, the technique used for oil production had remained virtually unchanged.

Or simply a little more courage. He was the first oil producer in Spain to make flavoured oils, an affront to the local olive traditionalists. Even his mother was sceptical at first. He integrated herbs and spices into the pressing process, something that had never been done before. Successfully. Today he sells his flavoured oils worldwide.

He has long since regained the trust of critics due in part to the fact that he has successfully built a bridge connecting tradition to the future of olive oil. He makes use of the latest scientific findings and works on methods to further improve the quality of the oil. Thanks to the new mill, farmers can once again produce their own single-sort olive oil – just like in the old days – except that the quality is much better. It’s a nice reinterpretation of an old tradition. Overall he promotes a new way to view olive oil.

“Many people forget that the olive is a fruit, just like an apple. Freshly squeezed juice from one kind of fruit tastes better than the sweetened juices produced on an industrial scale. Unfortunately, most people are simply accustomed to a relatively poor quality of oil. In some restaurants, oil has sometimes been standing around a bit too long on the table,” he says with a grin. “It’s no surprise that it becomes rancid. How would you expect it to taste?”

Josep Maria Mir-Folch is truly passionate about two things; the sea and home-grown olive oil. During his decades as a captain he set sail many times, always to return to his Massia, the country estate his family has occupied for centuries. Over time, the estate has witnessed shifts and changes, but it has always been Josep Maria Mir-Folch's home. This is where he cultivates his passion for olives.

and some of these Methuselahs have been sending their roots down into the groves of the Massia for well over a century. They still bear plenty of fruit and, like any other olive tree, some years are better and some are worse. Josep Maria Mir-Folch still does most of the harvesting himself - by hand, of course, of which he is proud. Finally the olives are made into oil, a task he entrusts only to Josep-Maria Mallafré.

Whereas many other mills combine the harvests of many different farmers when they press oil, Mallafré produces single-sort, personalised oil from individual harvests. Josep Maria Mir-Folch is generous with his own oil and gives it away freely to his friends. He also serves it to guests who are taking a brief holiday in one the tower rooms he has recently renovated.