Olives

Olives start off green and as they ripen, undergo changes of colour and flavour. When the fruit is black it is fully ripe and almost sweet.

Although unpalatable straight off the tree, it was discovered that olives which had fallen in the sea and were washed about, lost their bitterness – hence the use of brine ever since.

There are several botanical varieties of olive tree that produce “aceitunas de mesa” – table olives. The finest table olives are Manzanillas finas, green, fat, sweet and meaty with a fine texture. The Gordal sevillana “Queen” olive is usually enjoyed whole, with a slightly more sour taste. Then there is the Hojiblanca, the black Cacerena and the Arbequina.

We offer a range of olives, juicy green and black pitted, unpitted and stuffed with pimiento, spices or anchovies or herbs.

Off the coast in Alicante lie fisheries dating back from ancient times and there is where the tradition of anchovy stuffed manzanilla olives began. We are proud to stock the El Serpis range of olives from the producers, Candido Miro, S.A. from Alcoy, Alicante. Try them with a dressing of oregano, chilli and thyme.

Green olives, bitter in flavour and tart on the palate, are best complemented by acidic condiment and rustic aromatic herbs.

Ripe black olives can be dressed with cumin, mint, orange-rind, even honey and quince and encapsulate the legacy of the Moorish kingdom of Al-Andalus.

Thanks to modern canning and bottling methods, these delicious olives so intrinsic a part in Spanish life can be sampled in the UK.