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São Paulo – Katya Salomão, a 55-year-old Brazilian entrepreneur, has successfully turned a cherished Syrian family tradition into a globally recognized business, Kochen Flavored Olive Oils. Her journey began in adolescence, sharing a ritual with her maternal grandmother, Maria Issa Salomão, of crafting herb-infused olive oils. This culinary art was passed down through generations, brought to Brazil by her grandmother, who learned it from her own mother before immigrating with her husband, Belmiro João Salomão.
What started as a personal hobby blossomed into a thriving profession. In 2018, Salomão officially launched Kochen Flavored Olive Oils as an online store. Since its inception, the company's unique products have reached consumers across nearly 20 Brazilian states and garnered numerous international accolades.
Salomão fondly recalls her grandmother's dedication: 'My grandmother came to Brazil when she was young, adapted to life here, raised a family, and one of the things she loved most was making infused olive oils for us. The recipes changed with the seasons, but she used a variety of herbs, including rosemary, basil, oregano and sage.' Born in Vespasiano, Minas Gerais, Katya began assisting in the oil preparation around age 14. She describes her grandmother's process: 'My grandmother would naturally dry the herbs in the sun before crushing them with olive oil. She would then strain the mixture and top up the bottle with extra virgin olive oil. It’s one of my fondest memories from my youth.'
Despite this strong family connection to culinary arts, Salomão's early professional path veered towards dance. An accident at age seven, where she broke both arms, led her orthopedic doctor to recommend dance for rehabilitation, as physical therapy was unavailable locally. This unexpected turn led her to become a classical ballet dancer and later earn a physical education degree. At just 14, she established her first ballet and jazz studio. 'Syrians, and Arabs in general, have a strong drive to start working early, so I began while I was still a teenager. My father helped me set up my little studio, which gradually grew,' she explains.
Her dance career flourished, eventually expanding into two successful studios that operated for 39 years. While balancing university studies and teaching, Salomão's entrepreneurial spirit was evident. In 2009, she took an eight-year hiatus from her businesses to serve as Vespasiano's municipal secretary of culture.
Upon returning to her dance studios in 2017, which had been managed during her public service, Salomão experienced a 'culture shock' between public and private sector management. This prompted a desire for entrepreneurial rediscovery, leading her to enroll in Sebrae's Empretec program, an entrepreneurship training initiative developed by the United Nations. During the seminar, participants created temporary companies to apply business concepts. Salomão founded 'Cria' and set an initial goal to sell 50 bottles of flavored olive oil within the week-long course. She dramatically surpassed this, selling 108 bottles.
The success of 'Cria' spurred immediate customer interest, with orders quickly accumulating after the training. What began as gifts soon found enthusiastic buyers at local fairs, often selling out within hours. Realizing the commercial potential, Salomão officially launched Kochen in February 2018. She dedicated herself to deepening her technical expertise, undertaking olive oil sommelier training in Italy, Uruguay, and Australia during the pandemic-induced closure of her dance studios. She subsequently decided to exit the dance business entirely.
Today, Kochen offers an extensive range of approximately 90 products, including about 35 varieties of flavored olive oils, alongside jams and liqueurs. Raw materials are meticulously sourced from selected producers in Minas Gerais. The company's rapid ascent led to international recognition within a few years. In 2022, Kochen entered six flavored olive oils into an Italian competition, securing awards for all: three gold and three silver medals. Further cementing her global standing, Salomão won the title of the world's best flavored olive oil in the mint category in 2024, with her orange-flavored olive oil also ranking among the world's top five. Overall, she has amassed more than 30 international awards.
Kochen currently distributes its products across 17 Brazilian states, serving over 1,000 individual and corporate clients, and employs nine people. The company is now poised for export, actively seeking to expand its footprint in international markets, particularly the United States. Despite the significant commercial growth, Salomão emphasizes that the company's most valuable asset remains the profound tradition inherited from her grandmother. 'You have to truly believe in the product and in the wisdom of your ancestors to turn a family tradition into a business. Very few people have the courage to do that,' she concludes.
Source: ANBA