Green olives, which are picked when they’re under-ripe, tend to be more bitter than black ones, but that bitterness also brings with it depth and complexity. Many of the cheaper olives I tasted have a strong, wine-vinegar acidity that I don’t really enjoy straight from the jar. I do, however, appreciate that punch when they’re paired with other ingredients: sliced on pizza, tossed into salads or, my favourite, skewered with an anchovy and a pickled guindilla pepper to make that classic Basque pintxo, the gilda. Salty olives are also brilliant for seasoning dishes such as tagines or in a tapenade crust for roast chicken – just remember to season after they’ve imparted their salty flavour.
This tasting led me to reconsider what makes a green olive excellent. The test group were all completely different, ranging from ones with rich olive oil and woody herb tones and a great meaty texture to others with strong acidic tones balanced by sweet apple notes. All are delicious in their own way, and considering that I’m not usually a fan of pitted green olives, I was impressed by the overall quality.
