Alex, a native food enthusiast and skilled chef from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, runs a restaurant called Alessandro Mediterranean, which offers a wide array of delectable Mediterranean dishes.

Driven by his passion for European cuisine, Alex has also established a European gourmet food store. This store specializes in various European food products and tableware, with a particular emphasis on Italian cuisine. It aims to bring authentic European flavors to its customers by providing high-quality ingredients, handcrafted products, and elegant silverware, creating a unique dining experience. Alex honed his skills in this area as a professional olive oil taster by completing his training in ONAOO in 2018. He also serves as a trainer for the Specialty Coffee Association.

With these skills, he ensures that customers receive the finest products and services. To help customers understand European culinary culture better, Alex’s store regularly hosts cooking and coffee classes and wine-tasting events. These activities allow customers to learn how to create authentic European dishes hands-on and bring the Italian lifestyle to their homes.

Since 2020, I have been dedicated to promoting and distributing Italian extra virgin olive oil in the Korean market.
I started a direct import business, carefully selecting high-quality artisanal producers with the goal of introducing Korean consumers to the excellence of Italian EVOO.

Currently, I supply my products to department stores and fine dining restaurants, and I collaborate with renowned chefs to highlight the use of EVOO in cuisine.

My work combines passion, expertise, and a strong commitment to spreading the culture of quality olive oil.
The training courses I completed with ONAOO have been a fundamental turning point in my professional journey.

The knowledge and accurate information I gained during these courses have greatly supported my current activities, helping me communicate the value of extra virgin olive oil with greater awareness and expertise.
This training continues to be an important resource that enriches my daily work and strengthens my commitment to promoting the culture of quality olive oil.

Catherine Fogel has been engaged in the field of gastronomy since 2002. In the same year, she met ONAOO and became a taster.

She subsequently completed a course for panel leaders organized by ONAOO in 2005, attaining the qualification of panel leader. In 2018, having completed an advanced educational course, she obtained the ONAOO Professional Taster qualification. In 2008, Catherine founded “Olivoteque” to present quality olive oils to consumers (www.Olivoteque.com).

She also provides consulting services to several companies in Europe, assisting with the administration and sourcing of high-quality products. Since 2004, Catherine has been a judge in several gastronomic competitions, including the World Cheese Awards, which she has been involved with since 2008. She is also a member of the Guild of International Cheesemongers.

In 2011, she was appointed Ambassador for the Scandinavian countries. In 2021, she was appointed Chevalier de L’Ordre du Merite Agricole by the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food. She frequently collaborates with numerous renowned European chefs.

Michelle, born in 1997, graduated in Business Administration in the University of Studies in Torino. In 2020 passed the selective trials at the end of the Official Technical Course for Olive Oil Tasters obtaining the Certificate of Physiological Suitability for Tasting. In 2022, after passing the advanced course’s exam, she became a Professional Taster of ONAOO. Currently she has been working in the family olive oil mill, F.lli Ruata S.p.a., in Baldissero d’Alba (Cuneo, Piedmont).