Types of Green Olives

A staple of Mediterranean cuisines, green olives can be eaten plain, stuffed and served as an appetizer, or used to add flavor to both food and beverages such as salads and martinis. Green olives are also used to make olive oil. There are numerous types of green olives available. Throughout Greece and other Mediterranean countries, each farm can grows its own specialized variety of green olive.

Facts

Green olives are an unripe oval fruit that has a bitter taste. Black olives are the same fruit when allowed to fully ripen. There are innumerable types of green olives available, depending on the area they were grown in and how they have been prepared for consumption. The most popular varieties of green olives available on the market can be divided into four categories based on the region they're grown in: Greek, Italian, French and Spanish.

Italian Green Olives

Cerignola is a popular green olive originally from southeastern Italy. This gourmet olive variety is cured in brine. This type of green olive is big and has a crisp, robust, sweet flavor. Cerignola are particularly good in martinis and when paired with goat cheese. Sicilian is heavily used in Sicilian cuisine. These Italian green olives are large, salty, sour olives that are typically highly marinated in herbs and spices. Sicilian olives are often served on pizza and stuffed as an appetizer.

French Green Olives

Picholine is considered to be the most popular French green olive. It is cured in salt brine and has a delicate, salty flavor. Tender and smooth, these green olives are widely used in French cuisine, to garnish martinis and to make subtle olive oils used for salad dressings.

Spanish Green Olives

Manzanilla is the most versatile and highly marketed Spanish green olive. They are sold unpitted. Manzanilla olives are often stuffed with garlic or pimento, and lye-cured (or cured in salt brine). Arbequina can be found in gourmet food stores. This variety of smaller, green Spanish olives has a slightly nutty or smoky taste. These are typically cured in a mix of Mediterranean spices and often used as a substitute for Manzanilla olives.

Greek Green Olives

Firm and juicy, Napfilion olives, (named for the region they are grown in), are considered the most common type of green Greek olives. Compared to other types of green olives, they are harvested early in the growing season. They can be served as a snack or appetizer. Ionian olives are considered a medium olive grown near the Ionian sea on the west coast of Greece. Ionian olives are brine cured and have a smooth, buttery taste. The meat of the olive is more textured, making it a great additive to spreads.

References

• The Cook's Thesaurus