MyGourmetConnection

Varieties of Olives

There are five natural subspecies of olives (Olea europaea) across the world:

• The European subspecies (europaea)
• The Iranian and Chinese subspecies (cuspidata)
• The Canary Islands subspecies (guanchica)
• The Moroccan subspecies (maroccana)
• The Algerian, Sudanese and Nigerian subspecies (laperrinei)

In addition to different subspecies of olives, there are also thousands of cultivars. In Italy, there are at least 300 cultivars; the most popular are Leccino, Frantoio and Carolea. These cultivars are most commonly used in Italian olive oils.

Although Italian olive oils are quite popular, Spain is the top olive-producing country.

Olive Usage and Storage

The raw flesh of an olive is too bitter to be eaten, therefore raw olives must be cured in lye, brine or salt to produce a palatable texture and flavor. Green olives, which are less ripe than black olives, have a denser flesh and a more bitter flavor.

Both green and black olives are often soaked in a sodium hydroxide solution and then washed to remove oleuropein, a naturally occurring bitter carbohydrate.

If you cook olives for too long, they tend to become even more bitter; always add olives to hot dishes immediately before serving.

Any open jars or cans of olives should be stored in the refrigerator for future use.

Raw olives must be cured before you can eat them.

The way in which the olive is cured affects its texture and flavor.

Lye, brine and salt are used to cure olives.

The longer an olive is cooked, the more bitter it becomes.

Green olives are picked before they are ripe, while black olives stay on the tree until fully ripe.

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