Buy Olives – anything but drab
Question: What are you getting when you buy olives?
(My answer is at the foot of the page)
OLIVES are an acquired taste. I know this because my mother told me so when I didn’t like the taste of a stuffed olive at the age of about nine. I do not now recall when I acquired my taste for olives but it was well-established before I was 20.
I like to buy olives. I enjoy the visuals – the black shine or matte green plumpness. Some delicatessens have beautiful multi-colored marinades on their olive offerings. There is anticipation, and instant gratification, as I ask to taste a sample or two. And often, you see something that will complement your intended purchase, such as wood-fired Greek or Italian bread, or a fresh French-style batard or baguette. And what about some French goats’ cheese, Greek fetta or Cypriot haloumi?
An olive grove near Petriti, Kerkyra, (Corfu). Photography by Andrew Dubock
Island of Olives
I was once on the Greek island of Kerkyra (Corfu) in a still-warm early October, where there are olive trees hundreds of years old. We visited a coastal-roadside store to buy lunch – kefalotyri cheese, a bottle of Retsina, fresh crusty bread and local, selected olives. We strolled through an olive grove for about half a mile until we reached a sandy beach without another soul to be seen. I can still remember that lunch after more than 30 years, and the olives shared equal billing.
It is hard to convey the flavor qualities of an olive to a non-believer. However, I am convinced all olives taste at their best when consumed in their countries of origin, in the summer or fall. It is unfair and unrealistic to expect that a jar of Spanish olives, pickled in brine, eaten in a cold New York winter will evoke the same taste-bud sensations as they did during your vacation in a tapas bar in Madrid.
Preparation
You can however do some things which will enable these venerable and venerated fruits to exhibit their virtues even in the most difficult of circumstances.
Firstly, buy olives of good quality. Consider their origin. Will California Black Ripe Olives have traveled better than Spanish Arbequinas, Greek Kalamatas, French Nyons or Nicoises, or Gaeta from Italy?
Secondly, if your chosen olives are packaged in brine, wash off the salt solution and dress with good olive oil. You may want to add flavors like garlic, herbes de Provence, lemon zest or chili and let the olives marinate. You may visit our online store to browse a wide selection of oils.
Thirdly, let the flavor shine through – take the olives from the refrigerator and serve them at room temperature. Olives are born in warm, sunny climes and cannot rug up for the winter.
Fourthly, enjoy!
Olive Facts
* Olives have been commercially cultivated on Crete since 2000 BCE.
* Worldwide, there may be more than 750 million cultivated olive trees.
* Mediterranean countries grow about 95% of the world’s olive trees.
* Spain grows about 45% of the world’s olives.
* Italy grows about 25% of the world’s olives.
* Greece grows about 15% of the world’s olives.
* California grows over 95% of US-grown olives but is not in the top ten of international olive producers.
Answer: When you buy olives you get concentrated capsules of history, culture, travel, sunshine and memories of good times.
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