What's Your Favorite Olive?

[weinoo]

So today I was snacking on some assorted olives, which I often do, seeing as how healthy they are . There were about 5 or 6 different olives in the batch; some sweet and fruity, some dry and funky - you get the picture.

I think I've decided that my favorite olive is the Cerignola - especially the green ones. Might be because they're huge, but probably more so because they're so damn tasty.

Do you have a favorite olive? And why?

[Shelby]

Anything with a martini around it.

[weinoo]

Anything with a martini around it.

I like that too. Usually it's a "Spanish" olive, which by itself isn't that great.

[Mjx]

My favourites are the ones I grew up with in Florence, but I have no idea of what they're called. They've very small, black olives, preserved in oil, with thin, firm flesh, smooth, not wrinkly skins, and not bitter, but a very full olive-y flavour. I have trouble even finding them in Florence, now, so I wonder whether they're a varietal that just isn't prolific or robust enough to be attractive from a contemporary business standpoint.

If anyone does know what these are called, I'd love to know.

[weinoo]

Oh, and I wanted to add that I always rinse olives; sometimes I soak them. And then, if I have the time (and they're not going into a Martini), I'll marinate them in some olive oil, herbs, maybe a hint of orange rind, etc.

[feedmec00kies]

Moroccan oil-cured, because I'm a salt fiend, and nicoise because I like the texture and flavor.

[Kouign Aman]

The little green 'spanish' ones that are stuffed with anchovies.

Kalamatas chopped into things for little random zings of salt and richness.

Jumbo black ripe olives. Love that butter-like richness.

[Chris Hennes]

I like Picholine.

[annabelle]

I like Kalamatas.

[Beebs]

Kalamatas and Nicoise.

And blue cheese stuffed green olives.

[Hassouni]

No idea what they're called, but the olives that can be found all over Lebanon and in Lebanese stores, especially the slightly bitter, smallish green ones cured with what I think is thyme and some other things.

[Prawncrackers]

Big fat Spanish green Gordal olives, marinated with garlic and toasted almonds.

[Will]

I like castelvetranos quite a bit.

[andiesenji]

There is no way I could choose just one. I like them all, impossible to pick a favorite.

[Katie Meadow]

Love castelvetranos (also sold as nocellara del belice). Also crazy about the green cerignolas--when they are crunchy, and taste fresh and a little chlorinated, like a clean swimming pool. When they are soft I don't find them so appealing.

[Chris Hennes]

When they are soft I don't find them so appealing.

I find that's true of most, if not all, olives.

[Hassouni]

That's what's nice about the Lebanese ones, they're VERY firm

[lesliec]

Spanish Arbequiñas. Tiny green things - they make the most wonderful mellow, fruity oil.

[runwestierun]

Nicoise.

Noice!

[threestars]

Big fat Spanish green Gordal olives, marinated with garlic and toasted almonds.

That sounds great!

[weinoo]

Does anyone else soak olives before eating them?

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Whether I soak depends on the olives, for me. For the types that have a lot of salt in the cure, absolutely.

My personal favourites at the moment are the tiny, firm black olives that are produced locally from the trees around the Cathedral, cured with a minimum of salt and with mixed herbs and allspices. They're fabulous.

In terms of olives that y'all will recognize, Kalamatas, hands down.

[ellevan]

So today I was snacking on some assorted olives, which I often do, seeing as how healthy they are . There were about 5 or 6 different olives in the batch; some sweet and fruity, some dry and funky - you get the picture.

I think I've decided that my favorite olive is the Cerignola - especially the green ones. Might be because they're huge, but probably more so because they're so damn tasty.

Do you have a favorite olive? And why?

Are these the bright green ones that also come in a red variety? If so these are my favorite as well. My MIL always brings me some back from her hometown Naples. Great now I'm craving them!

[SylviaLovegren]

For big black olives I love Alfonsos. For green olives the small Lebanese have a buttery richness that I adore. Nicoise are also good. Kalamata are a nice "safe" olive -- almost everyone has them and even the jarred ones are good. When we lived in NJ we made a bi-weekly trek to Nouris, a Lebanese market in Paterson, that has a huge array of olives in giant tubs that can be sampled before buying. Big green, little green, cracked green, huge fat black ones, little wrinkled black ones, medium purple ones. I miss that! Haven't found anything quite comparable yet in Toronto, although there are good Greek olives aplenty. Still haven't found any Alfonsos tho.

[JAZ]

The first olives I had that weren't just the generic "black" and "Spanish (aka stuffed green) were Graber olives. I haven't had them in years, and I have no idea if they would still be as good now as they were then, but I remember them as being irresistible.

Now, I like almost any olives -- I'm not a huge fan of the little salt-cured black ones (whatever they're called), but that's about the only kind I've tasted that I didn't like.