Fernando Desa, Executive Chef at Goya, is one of the foremost ambassadors of Goya olive oils and olives You only have to take a look at his social media and his appearances and show-cooking demonstrations on television programs in the US, Puerto Rico and Santo Domingo to see how Goya oils have become an essential ingredient in his recipes and dishes.
Although he’s a frequent visitor to Spain, Fernando had never visited the Goya España factory in Seville So, after his appearance at Madrid Fusion on 24 January, he travelled to Seville to discover the essence of our oils, olives and capers.
Over two busy days, the chef became familiar with our “2 in 1 plant” for the production of olive oil and olives. In the company of the Managing Director of Goya España, Antonio Carrasco; Exports Manager, Philippe Parouty and the Quality Manager, Antonio Martín,, Fernando had the opportunity for a close look at the processes our table olives undergo from the time they are received at the plant to packaging. As our Quality Manager states, “We have applied important technological advances in machinery in each and every one of our production processes. These advances, together with the specialization of our operating staff, allow us to offer quality olives with a unique flavor.” Fernando also visited la Mezquita (the unit with tanks for the cooking and dressing of olives), the patio with the fermentation tanks, the rooms for classification and preparation of the olives, enjoying a tutorial from one our stuffing machine operators, before reaching the packaging point.
After the olives, Fernando also discovered the Goya olive oils cellar, where the hustle and bustle of the factory floor gives way to the silence of the cellar and the large tanks storing each of our Goya olive oils. “We have the best raw materials from the olive groves of Andalusia. That’s why we preserve the quality our olives, especially in our Unico and Organics products, our jewels in the crown, ensuring no air, light or heat can affect the oil before it is packaged,” explains Antonio Martín.
Expert taster
Fernando finished his visit to the Goya factory with a double olive oil tasting session hosted by our Quality Manager. “It’s time to forget everything and enjoy the unique experience of discovering the aromas and nuances of our oils,” offered Antonio Martín by way of introduction.
In the first tasting session, Fernando showed his excellent palate, distinguishing perfectly the notes of green and mature fruit, while in the second, an advanced session, he prepared his own coupage, just like the olive oil maestros, with prominent notes of freshly cut green grass and green tomato notes from our GOYA® Robusto Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
After his visit to Goya Spain, Fernando returned to Madrid to attend to some other professional commitments before returning to New Jersey. Pleased with this experience, the Goya Executive Chef said he’d love to come back to Seville next autumn for the harvesting of our olives for oil and to complete his training.
Thanks for your visit, Fernando! We look forward to welcoming you back!
Communication and promotion of the benefits of olive oils and olives is one of the pillars on which the relationship between Goya España with other Goyas around the world.
It’s an honor for us to receive visits every year from managers and sales representatives of Goya Foods, Puerto Rico and Santo Domingo and see how they enjoy discovering all the details of our traditional products.
In 2022, we welcomed the top sellers from Goya Foods, who won their sales incentive contest for a trip to Spain. These 34 sales reps from the sales regions of NorthEast, Florida, Texas and California participated in a training session on Goya oils at our facility.
In September, we welcomed winners Miguel Concepción, winner of the Prudencio Unanue; and Diógenes Antonio Quezada and Hernando José Melero, winner of the President’s Award; from Goya Puerto Rico. They were accompanied by their Sales Director Carlos Colón y and CEO of Goya Foods, Robert Unanue.
That same month, the Sales and Marketing Director of Goya Santo Domingo, Katia Sánchez, visited us.
Here at Goya Foods, we were thrilled by the interest shown on your visits to our factory and in the olive oil tastings with our Quality Manager and the guided tours of the olive groves of Andalusia, the cradle of our production. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Every year, Goya Extra Virgin Olive Oils make an appearance at the Spanish capital’s most important gastronomic fair. This year, the theme for Madrid Fusion 2023 was “No Limits”.
From Monday 23 to Wednesday 25 January, Goya Extra Virgin Olive Oils have taken pride of place at the Goya Europa stand in the IFEMA conference center for the 21st edition of Madrid Fusion.
They also featured in the show cooking “Importing flavour from Latin America to Spain” demonstration given by Fernando Desa, Goya’s Executive Chef, as he cooked up delicious Latin American flavors with dishes like a red tuna ceviche that was beyond words and an exquisite sopa de frijoles.
Sharing some highlights of our appearance at Madrid Fusion 2023.
When olive oil is consumed, it is very important to ensure it is stored properly. Proper storage prevents the oil from oxidizing and losing its properties.
At Goya España we have several types of packaging for our olive oils. Each of them offers different features for preserving the organoleptic qualities of our olive oils, EVOOs and flavored extra virgin olive oil.
- The first of these containers is glass. Goya olive oil glass bottles have a unique and elegant design. They come in a range of sizes (3 Fl.Oz.; 8,5 Fl.Oz.; 17 Fl.Oz.; 25,4 Fl.Oz.), and we use both dark glass (for GOYA® Unico, GOYA® Organics and GOYA® Robusto) and clear glass (for Extra Virgin Olive Oil, GOYA® Puro, GOYA® Light Flavor and GOYA® Garlic), which allows you to see the product.
- Another type of container we use is PET. Available in 34 Fl.Oz. and 50 Fl.Oz. sizes, in this format great care must be taken in storing the oil as it is the material that least protects it from light and air.
- Finally, we also pack oils in tin cans. Although it is one of the best materials for storage, its one disadvantage is that the product cannot be seen. At Goya España we offer GOYA® Extra Virgin Olive Oil in 16/17 Fl.Oz.; 24 Fl.Oz; 34 Fl.Oz. and 101 Fl.Oz. sizes.
In the storage of the oil, the container maintains the organoleptic qualities of the oil. It is important to avoid exposure to light, heat and contact with air.
We are part of a big family, the Goya Family.
From Goya España we wish you Happy Holidays!
Because we know that kitchens are one of the favorite spaces where creativity is given free rein making dishes, today we want to share some hints and tips with you that will surely help you from one recipe to another.
Read more
Since it was approved by UNESCO in 2019. Every 26 November World Olive Tree Day is celebrated, as a universal symbol of peace, wisdom and harmony.
It was an initiative presented by Lebanese and Tunisian delegations, who produced a document demonstrating the importance and longevity of the olive tree as a natural element, an initiative supported by the International Olive Council.
On World Olive Tree Day we promote the protection and conservation of this thousand-year-old tree, as well as its importance in environmental sustainability.
The olive groves of Andalusia hold the essence and origin of our olive oils. So, at Goya España we celebrate World Olive Tree Day by consuming the juice of its olives, our Goya olive oil.
Happy World Olive Tree Day
Extra virgin olive oil is a healthy food, and its regular consumption provides important health benefits that have seed oils and butter can’t provide. It is one of the basic foods that makes up the Mediterranean Diet, and its use in cooking is increasing. But what is the recommended amount of extra virgin olive oil we should eat every day?
As Aceites de Oliva de España points out, the “European Union establishes that to benefit from polyphenols (natural antioxidants present in virgin olive oils) it is necessary to include at least 20 grams of virgin or extra virgin olive oil per day (approx. 2 tablespoons)”.
Some of the options in which it can be used include salads (traditional, with tuna and egg or Greek salad with feta cheese, tomato and black olives), frying, tortillas, and on toast with avocado or tomato.
They are all good options and delicious, even more so if accompanied by Goya Extra Virgin Olive Oil, the perfect EVOO for all your homemade recipes.
The mayor of Alcalá, Ana Isabel Jiménez visited our factory in Seville to find out about our lines of activity and facilities.
On 3 November we welcomed members of the Alcalá de Guadaíra Town Council, the municipality of Seville in which the Goya España facilities are located. Antonio Carrasco, our general manager showed the town mayor Ana Isabel Jiménez, along with the heads of Economy and Development, the projects and expansions we have carried out in our factory in the last three years.
After the visit to our “2 in 1” olive and olive oil packaging factory and with a detailed explanation by our quality manager, Antonio Martín, the management team of Goya España presented the new projects for the economic expansion of the factory.
Goya España, which has existed for almost 50 years has established itself as a benchmark for economic development in the municipality. This was highlighted by the mayor of Alcalá who pointed out that 80% of the staff are local and this contribution to direct employment generates synergies which benefit all local economic activity as a trailblazing company, which from its position in Alcalá de Guadaíra greatly influences the international market.
In this way, Goya España has become a competitive and innovative firm through the implementation of different R&D&i projects, and also collaborates with the tow through different projects of corporate social responsibility developed in conjunction with local associations.
𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐟’𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲 has been celebrated on October 20 every year since 2004, a date established by the Worldchefs – World Association of Chefs’ Societies -, to pay tribute to all chefs for creating the most exquisite dishes in the world.👨🍳
In particular, we pay special tribute to Fernando Desa, Executive Chef at Goya Foods for all the enjoyment he gives us with his delicious dishes. 👏👏
Happy International Chef´s Day 🎉