Trebinje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, February 25, 2026
ekapija.com
A Serbian Orthodox monastery in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina has claimed three Gold Awards at the NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, the world’s largest olive oil quality contest, adding to the country’s growing record at the annual event.
Tvrdoš Monastery, a 15th-century holy habitation near Trebinje, won the awards for three distinct oils, reports Olive Oil Times.
Manastir Tvrdoš Chalkidiki, made from the Greek Chalkidiki cultivar, was hand-harvested and promptly pressed, yielding a green oil with pronounced fruitiness and high polyphenol content. The Monastic Blend, also produced from hand-picked olives, was recognized for its freshness and balance. The third award went to Manastir Tvrdoš Kalamata, made from the Greek Kalamata variety, which contains over 400 milligrams of polyphenols per liter.
“Last year we won one gold, and this year three,” said Hieromonk Miljan Grgić Porfirije. “This is another confirmation of our commitment to the olive and to producing extra virgin olive oils.”
The monastery is currently ranked #3 in Bosnia and Herzegovina and #87 worldwide, according to the competition website.
The monastery currently tends 1,700 trees, including local Herzegovinian cultivars and Greek and Italian varieties. It’s also building a new mill that will offer milling services to other growers in the Trebinje municipality, where producers cultivate around 8,000 olive trees.
The awards reflect a broader expansion of olive farming across Herzegovina. According to Marko Ivanković, director of the Agromediterranean Institute in Mostar, 15,000 new trees were planted last season on approximately 370 acres.
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