Olive trees have been at home in the Mediterranean region for at least 3000 years. The plant, also known as the olive tree, has become an integral part of the cuisine and culture of the Mediterranean countries, as the fruits and the oil obtained from them still represent an important economic factor today. But olive trees were already of great importance in historical times, such as archaeological ones Finds and written evidence (such as the Bible) prove it.

Over 1000 different varieties are known

In Europe alone, more than 1000 different olive varieties are known, but only a few of them are of national economic importance. By far the largest olive producer is Spain, with around 260 types of olives found here alone. These include the thick-fleshed Manzanilla olive or the aromatic and late-ripening Hojiblanca. However, olives are not only cultivated in the European Mediterranean region - i. H. grown in Spain, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Israel and, to a lesser extent, France - but also in California, Argentina, South Africa and Turkey.

Long harvest time

The flowering period of the olive tree falls in the spring months between April and June, and the harvest takes place between October and February. The extremely long harvest time can be explained on the one hand by the high yield of an olive tree at its best - ergo between 40 and 150 years - but on the other hand by the fruits harvested at different degrees of ripeness. The commercially available green olives are not a separate variety, but only unripe fruits. They have a tart taste and firmer flesh than the ripe, mostly black or purple olives.

Black olives are more aromatic

Depending on the variety, olives become darker as they ripen. Not only does the flesh turn black, but also the core. Deep black olives have a soft flesh and are significantly more aromatic than green ones, but also more expensive due to the longer ripening period. In order to save themselves the long ripening on the tree, many olive producers use a simple trick: They dye green (i.e. unripe) olives with ferrous gluconate black and thus simulate a quality that does not exist.

How to tell colored olives from real black olives

  • on the packaging: Ferrous gluconate must be included in the list of ingredients
  • taste: Colored olives taste like green olives, i.e. tart.
  • the color of the pit: Ripe black olives have a dark pit, colored olives have a light one.

tips and tricks

Green olives contain less oil than black ones and are therefore significantly lower in calories. Green olives contain about 140 kilocalories per 100 grams, black ones about 350. They are both rich in unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and trace elements.

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Trees