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In professional kitchens, chefs do not talk much about secrets. But when they do, the conversation almost always comes back to olive oil.

The difference between a memorable dish and a forgettable one is often not technique. It is the quality of the fat that carries the flavor. A great olive oil does not disappear into a dish — it elevates every ingredient it touches.

As a chef who has cooked at the highest levels of international cuisine, I have one non-negotiable: the olive oil on my pass is always from Mani. It is the oil I grew up with, the oil I have cooked with for decades, and the oil I am proud to now share with the world under my own label.

When the AWT Authentic World Taste panel awarded it Best Olive Oil of the Year 2026, it was not a surprise to anyone who had tasted it. It was a confirmation.