Fruit

Olive

Olive (Olea europaea) is the bitter drupe of the Mediterranean tree that, once cured or pressed, becomes table olive or olive oil. Fresh fruit off the tree is intensely bitter from oleuropein and is not eaten raw; lye, brine, dry-salt, or water curing transforms green and black stages into the familiar savoury fruit. Cultivars span Kalamata, Manzanilla, Arbequina, Nocellara, Mission, and hundreds more, each with distinct oil chemistry and table texture. Table olives season pizzas, stews, tapenade, and mezze; oil is a primary fat for dressings, sautés, and finishing. Harvest timing (green versus fully ripe black), curing method, and salt level dominate flavour more than mere colour. Mediterranean Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, California, Australia, and South America all produce. Store opened olives under brine and oil cool; oil wants dark, cool bottles away from heat.