by Pat Merewether

Created on: March 28, 2010

Many of us first experienced olives as small green ovals stuffed with pimentos or black balls stuffed into cans, but there is another world of olives available to enjoy and explore. 

Olives are an amazing fruit that are traced back thousands of years and have been cultivated since prehistoric times in Asia Minor.  In the Bible, Noah sent his dove from the Ark in hopes of nearby land. The dove returned with an olive branch.  Olives were found in Egyptian tombs from 2000 B.C. and spread to ancient Greece and Rome.  Today olives are commercially produced in Italy, France, Greece, Spain, Turkey, Portugal, China, Chili, Peru, Africa, Mexico, New Zealand and the United States in California. 

The olive tree, Olea europaea, is an evergreen and live to be over 2000 years old. The blossoms are white and have a unique, pleasant fragrance. They were the beginnings of many a village, city and country as the establishment of olive groves meant a consistent and plentiful source of food and wealth.

Here are some of the more widely available and popular types of olives:
ITALIAN OLIVES:
Castelvetrano - Sicily:  Green, rich, buttery and great for snacks with a glass of wine.
Gaeta - Lazio: Black olives used in salads, pasta, on pizza and for snacks.
Taggiasche - Liguria: Black olives with an earthy taste. They are very small and are good in salads or party trays.
Green - Apullia: Large and meaty with an earthy taste; excellent for appetizers.

OLIVES FROM FRANCE:
Roland Nicoise - black olives usually sold in cans with the pit and have a tart flavor.
Nyons: A dull shade of black, with a rich and flavorful, usually cured in brine.  Nyons can be hard to find and on the expensive side.
Nicoise: A small black olive with a nutty mellow flavor that are often packed with the stems in tact and herbs.
Picholine:  A green olive that is salt-brine cured, with a slightly salty flavor.

GREEK OLIVES:
Kalamata:  Black or a deep purple, that are almond shaped and have a rich fruity flavor.
Roland:  Black, very large and round in shape. They are dark brown with a slight purple tinge and have a strong unique flavor. OLIVES

FROM SPAIN:
Manzanilla: Green and lye-cured then packed in a salt brine.
Obergon: Plump and green olives with a slightly sweet and tangy flavor.

The next time you go to your local deli or gourmet shop, check out the many varieties of olives now available.  Often they are sold in open displays so you can try a few of each and discover your personal favorites to enjoy or share with friends and family.  Olives also are often stuffed with cheeses or pimentos and flavored with garlic and herbs. 

http://homecooking.about.com/od/fruit/a/olivevarieti es, htm http://ezinearticles.com/?History-Of-Olive-Trees&id=368070, http://www.olives.com/OlivesWeb/Olives/World.aspx 

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