GOLDEN AWARD IN AMERICA FOR TVRDOŠ OLIVE OIL

Extra virgin olive oil from the Tvrdoš Monastery in Trebinje won a gold medal at the 2025 New York International Olive Oil Competition (NYIOOC).

PHOTO: Radio Trebinje

"Around the Tvrdoš Monastery, various olive varieties grow, including Greek, Italian, and others. Currently, we have around 1,700 olive trees. Olive trees have been a symbol of peace, longevity, and prosperity throughout history, nourishing people with their gifts in the form of extra virgin olive oil for centuries. In addition, olive oil also has medicinal properties," said Porfirije Grgić, a monk at the Tvrdoš Monastery and vice president of the Herzegovina Olive Oil and Olive Growers Association (HUUM).

Grgić added that the competition was tough.

"This year, the famous olive-growing regions were joined by Tvrdoš Monastery, which won a gold medal for its extra virgin olive oil. Tvrdoš Monastery sent samples to New York along with 15 other samples from Herzegovina, and we are rightly expecting more gold medals and good news from New York. This is an incentive for us to continue planting new olive groves and maintaining the quality of our extra virgin olive oils. Our olive oil is already recognized in the market and is part of a joint brand – the quality seal – GOLDEN DROPS OF HERZEGOVINA. I can proudly say that this is our shared success, achieved in cooperation with the Federal Agromediterranean Institute over many years (15 years)," he explained.

Father Porfirije was involved in the founding meeting of HUUM in December 2020, and the final resolution for its establishment was made on April 30, 2021.

"In this short period, HUUM has achieved two very important results: the first is the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) certification, as the highest form of quality protection at the Food Safety Agency, and the second is the registration and protection of the quality seal or brand, GOLDEN DROPS OF HERZEGOVINA. Therefore, this is not only an individual success for the Tvrdoš Monastery, but also a success for HUUM and the entire olive-growing and oil production sector in Herzegovina," Grgić explained.

Following this success, it is logical that the Tvrdoš Monastery continues to develop olive growing and oil production.

"Not only will we plant new olive trees on our property, but throughout the entire territory of the Trebinje municipality, it is necessary to install a modern olive oil mill with a capacity of 1,000 kg/hour. The capacity is crucial because with smaller mills, we can achieve top quality, and that is our goal – quality. Another goal is to be part of the Olive Oil Roads of Herzegovina project. This project is in the development and writing phase (written by Prof. Dr. Marko Ivanković, Director of the Federal Agromediterranean Institute in Mostar, and is currently seeking financial backers), and we have already received indications from foreign development agencies that the project may be realized. The idea is that the starting point of the Olive Oil Roads will be at Tvrdoš Monastery from the south or southeast, and the final point will be at the School Sisters of Christ the King Monastery in Bijelo Polje, just outside Mostar on the road to Sarajevo," he added.

The Olive Oil Roads project has two main goals.

"The general goal of the project is to establish a promotional and sales chain called the OLIVE OIL ROADS OF HERZEGOVINA. However, it should not be misunderstood that only olive oil will be sold in this chain. No, the goal is for extra virgin olive oil to be the main product, but local products will certainly be included in the sale (cheeses such as 'sir iz mijeha,' 'sir iz kace,' 'škripavac,' 'torotan,' 'Livanjski sir,' young cheese, and others), honey, medicinal herbs and teas, cosmetics based on olive oil, cured meats, wine (with an emphasis on indigenous varieties like Vranac, Žilavka, and Blatina, as well as international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and others), brandies, liqueurs, and herbal spirits made from local medicinal herbs). The concept plans to involve eight to ten, or at most twelve producers on the Olive Oil Roads. We should also highlight the role of young farmers and women's entrepreneurship in rural areas, which can help reduce depopulation," concluded Father Porfirije in an interview for Radio Trebinje.