Olive

Latin Name: Olea europaea

Uses: oil, appetizer, hors d’oeuvres

What Are Olives?

Olives are the oily fruit (a drupe) of the olive tree, a small evergreen tree in the same plant family as lilacs and jasmine (Oleaceae). The olives we eat (also known as table olives) can be different from those produced for oil. Some olives are for both eating and oil, but of the thousands of olive cultivars, only about 20% are harvested for eating.

Why Are Olives Healthy?

Olives are a nutrient-dense fruit that helps promote heart and bone health. As their name suggests, olives are high in oleic acid, an omega-9 fatty acid. (The fatty acid is actually named for the plant, not the other way around.) Because oleic acid can help reduce LDL (bad cholesterol), this monounsaturated fat is associated with the cardiovascular benefits of the Mediterranean diet. Olives are also high in vitamin E and other antioxidants. Most table olives are high in sodium, though, so enjoy them in moderation.

What Do Olives Taste Like?

Olives universally have a pleasant, oily richness, though different varieties have their own flavor and the ripeness at which they’re picked makes a difference. The curing method—brine, water, dry salt, lye, or sun being most typical—also affects the flavor. The Niçoise olive is tiny and salty; Kalamata is slightly smoky, bitter, and floral; and Castelvetrano has a mild, buttery flavor and a meaty texture. Manzanilla olives are salty and sharp. A black olive tastes slightly metallic—in a good way.

How Do I Use Olives?

You can eat olives straight from the container. You’ll often see them accompanying cheese boards, relish trays, and mezzes or topping nachos, pizzas, and salads. You can use olives in chunky tapenades for sandwiches or in grain bowls to add body.

What Do Olives Pair Well With?

Olives are very common in Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and North African cuisines; you’ll find them adorning dishes everywhere from Greece to Morocco. Olives love oranges and lemons, pine nuts, cucumbers, tomatoes, briny cheeses, chiles, garlic, and herbs, like parsley, oregano, savory, and thyme. Olives go beautifully with spicy tomato-based sauces, like puttanesca. In French cuisine, they’re wonderful for punctuating egg and potato dishes. Olives also love Mexican, Dominican, and Puerto Rican food; green olives are often mixed with capers and used in sofrito-based stews, and black olives are commonly used as a topping in Tex-Mex dishes.

Where Do Olives Grow?

Olives are native to the lands around the Mediterranean Sea; fossil evidence suggests they began growing there 20 to 40 million years ago. Humans began cultivating olives in the region around 7,000 years ago, and the trees are still primarily grown in Mediterranean countries. (Spain, Greece, and Italy are the top producers.) In the U.S., California is the main grower of olives.

How Do I Buy Olives?

You’ll find the most variety at a well-stocked olive bar at the supermarket grocery store or deli, where they’ll typically be sold by the pound and you can just fill up the takeout tub as you like. . Black olives are often sold in cans, but most other olives are available in jars, either in brine or oil. Even though they’re very salty, you should stash olives in the refrigerator once you open a jar or container and make sure they stay submerged in the oil or brine to prevent mold.

Fun Olive Fact

Some of the of the world’s oldest trees are olive trees. In Portugal, one wizened tree, named Oliveira do Mouchão, dates back to the early Atlantic Bronze Age and was likely planted about 3,350 years ago. When it was last measured (in 2016), its trunk had a circumference of about 36.7 feet, nearly 12 feet in diameter. Another specimen, the Olive Tree of Vouves, on the island of Crete, in Greece, is thought to be between 2,000 and 3,000 years old. Both trees still produce fruit.