In 2020, a Lebanese olive oil won a gold medal in Italy and a silver medal in Japan, at two international competitions featuring extra virgin olive oils.
She hails from Dar Mimas, in the Marjeyoun region of South Lebanon. “A picturesque little village spanning a few square kilometers, boasting 130,000 olive trees with an average age of 600 years, some dating back 2,000 years,” says Rose Bechara. “In Dar Mimas, nicknamed the ‘Bordeaux of olive oils,’ our trees thrive in an ideal climate: planted at an altitude of 580 meters, the clay soil retains the moisture the trees need. Moreover, being old, they are stronger and yield higher-quality fruit.”
It is thanks to these precious olives that the founder of the startup Darmmess – “this is how the villagers pronounce Dar Mimas in their dialect,” she explains – received the 2020 gold medal from the International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition (EVO IOOC) in Italy and, in the same year, the silver medal from the Japan Olive Oil Prize (JOOP), a symbol of excellence awarded by an internationally renowned jury that selects pure oils based on blind tasting procedures, in full compliance with European Union regulations. For the young Lebanese olive grower, these medals are the result of perseverance, a motivation to take on new challenges, and the prospect of expanding horizons internationally.
Where her passion was born
As a child, Rose Bechara accompanied her family and the villagers to the fields to pick olives, as their ancestors had done for generations. Every autumn, she watched the olive taunting her from the end of the branch, then followed the villagers to their traditional oil mills, to immerse herself in the flavors and aromas of this fruit. As a teenager, armed with enthusiasm and a crate, she took part in the ritual of picking while dreaming of creating her own brand. “I vowed that this brand would promote a super premium virgin oil and would be on the global map of olive oils!” However, the young woman chose to pursue a master’s degree in neuromarketing before embarking on this sector. Quickly bored, she returned to her first passion: olives. As early as 2017, she began devouring manuals on extra virgin oil, the process of its production, ranging from harvesting methods to milling, filtration, storage, and packaging. Through determination, she eventually launched her extra virgin olive oil brand, Darmmess, in Lebanon in 2019, “aimed at a niche market.” It was a few weeks before the Thawra, before she realized that she no longer had access to her savings due to the restrictions imposed by banks at the start of the crisis. Persistent, supported by her husband Stefano Perini, Rose Bechara persisted, overcoming economic crises, the Covid-19 pandemic… In 2020, she presented her production in Italy and then in Japan. Success followed suit.
Source: https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1282398/lor-de-rose-bechara-a-la-couleur-des-olives.html
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