Olive Notes

Arbequinas: popular Spanish olive; small crisp texture, slightly bitter

Beldi: small, fruity Moroccan; common in mixes

Cerignola: meaty, giant Italian olive; good snacking olive

Gaeta: small, salty Italian olive; good for snacking but difficult to pit

Halkidiki: tangy green olive grown on the Halkidiki peninsula in Greece; often served with wine and fetta

Kalamata: Greccian olive cured in red wine vinegar brine imparting rich, smoky flavor (currently my favorite)

Manzanilla: regular medium sized Spanish olive (the ubiquitous olive); available as fully ripened black from Argentina where growing season longer

Nicoise: tiny, meaty olives from Nice; tree ripened; Nicoise-style Coquillo or the same thing; good for snacking

Picholine: tart green French olives; good hors d'oeuvres

Thassos: dry cured, wrinkly and black olives from a Grecian island; licorice like flavor