Food & Cooking Recipes Ingredients 12 Types of Olives, Including the Best for Snacking, Stuffing, and Martinis Also, why some olives are green, some black, and some purple ... but only one is red. By Perri Ormont Blumberg Perri Ormont Blumberg Perri is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines Published on September 22, 2023 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: AnnaPustynnikova / GETTY IMAGES If you want to infuse your food with a taste of the Mediterranean, reach for olives. When you add various types of olives to your meal, you're also putting a piece of history on your plate. Olives can be traced back millennia to when ancient civilizations, including the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians, cultivated them. Olive trees bear different types of fruit (yes, all olives are fruit). From the buttery and mild Castelvano to the tangy and subtly smoky Gaeta to the robust and fruity Kalamata, the olive family showcases a diverse palate of flavors and complements a wide array of dishes from many different cuisines. But what kind of olives should you seek when cooking, snacking, or assembling a charcuterie board? Our guide to olives explores the various methods of curing and the significance of color—and then goes into detail about the different types of olives you'll want to add to your grocery list. 12 Types of Olives, Including the Best for Snacking, Stuffing, and Martinis How Olives Are Cured Picking and eating olives straight off the tree might sound like a romantic scene, but fresh olives are actually too bitter to enjoy. That's why curing olives is "essential to transforming the naturally bitter fruit into the delicious treat we enjoy," says Petar Dzaja, an expert on olives, olive trees, and olive oil, and owner of Olive Knowledge. Dzaja explains the most common methods for curing olives. Each brings out unique flavor profiles. Water Curing: "Olives are soaked in water, which is changed daily to remove bitterness," says Dzaja. This curing method gives olives a milder taste. Brine Curing: "Olives are submerged in a saltwater solution, which not only removes bitterness but also imparts a salty flavor." If you love salty foods, brined olives will likely please your palate. Lye Curing: Dzaja says that this method uses alkaline compounds referred to as lye to cure olives, "making them extremely delicious." This manner of treating olives "requires careful handling due to the caustic nature of the lye," he adds. Dry Salt Curing: Olives are layered with salt, drawing out moisture and intensifying flavors. "The result is a shriveled, intensely flavored olive," Dzaja says. (Thassos olives are an example of this curing method.) Color Differences in Olives What's in a color? Quite a lot when it comes to olives. "The color of an olive—green, purple, or black—speaks volumes about its maturity and the method used in its processing," says Sarah Bridenstine, baker and blogger at Baking Kneads. She explains that green olives are picked while young, black olives are fully ripened on the tree, and purple olives represent the transition phase between green and black in terms of ripeness. "Interestingly, not all black olives begin green. Some darken due to exposure to air during curing, adding another layer of intrigue to their story," she says. Types of Olives 01 of 12 Arbequina seb_ra / GETTY IMAGES Region: Catalonia, SpainColor: Dark purple to blackTaste: Fruity, buttery, nutty With a buttery, rich, yet fruity taste and a firm, meaty texture, Arbequina olives are good for snacking and often added to salads. Known as a Spanish olive, Arbequina are also now grown in California, says Autumn Hilliard-Knapp, marketing professional and horticulture specialist at Perfect Plants, where the Arbequina olive tree is one of their most popular trees. 02 of 12 Castelvetrano barol16 / GETTY IMAGES Region: Sicily, ItalyColor: GreenTaste: Buttery, meaty, mild Popular for cheese platters and antipasto platters, these bright green olives have a mild, buttery flavor and are both salty and sweet, says Hilliard-Knapp. She says they also make a delicious addition to pizza, pasta, and salads. Castelvetrano are also known as Nocellara del Belice and are grown in Valle del Belice, a region in southwestern Sicily. We love them in Warm Olives With Cracked Coriander or in Orecchiette, Celery, and Olive Salad With Ricotta Salata. 03 of 12 Cerignola SOMKHANA CHADPAKDEE / GETTY IMAGES Region: ItalyColor: Green, black, or redTaste: Buttery, tartCerignola olives are the largest olives. They are grown in Puglia, Italy. Their large size makes them easy to stuff, and many people fill them with cheese or meat. They are also often served chopped in salad or pasta. Try Cerignola olives with mozzarella, capers, or anchovies. Hilliard-Knapp says that green Cerignola olives are the firmest and black are the softest. The red version of Cerignola is striking, but it is not natural; the olives are dyed with food coloring. 04 of 12 Gaeta IriGri8 / GETTY IMAGES Region: Italy Color: Deep purple to black Taste: Tart, salty, smokyGaeta olives are sweet, tender, and wrinkled in appearance, says Dzaja. He adds they are perfect to use in pasta dishes. Try them in Tomato and Olive Penne or Pappardelle Pasta with Olives, Thyme, and Lemon. 05 of 12 Kalamata Eugeniusz Dudzinski / GETTY IMAGES Region: GreeceColor: Deep purpleTaste: Fruity, salty, hints of red wine Often used in Greek salads, Kalamata olives have an intense, slightly salty yet fruity taste. They are a good all-round olive, popular for snacking and also good atop pizza. This tasty olive originates in the south of Greece, in the Peloponnese, says Hilliard-Knapp. 06 of 12 Liguria Quanthem / GETTY IMAGES Region: Italy Color: Green, purple, brown, and black Taste: Sweet, mild, nuttyThese versatile olives are "great for any application," says Kam Talebi, CEO of The Butcher's Tale and Salsa a La Salsa in Minneapolis, and other restaurants. Ligurian olives are grown just across the Italian border from where Niçoise olives are cultivated. Talebi says they are cured with herbs, such as rosemary and thyme, for additional flavor notes. 07 of 12 Manzanilla IriGri8 / GETTY IMAGES Region: Spain Color: Green Taste: Smoky, bitter, nuttyThis type of green olive is often stuffed with pimentos. You may also find them garnishing a martini. The Manzanilla olive comes from Sevilla, Spain and has a smoky briny flavor that is slightly bitter or nutty. Try cooking with manzanilla olives in our Beef Braciole with Olives and Raisins. 08 of 12 Niçoise milanfoto / GETTY IMAGES Region: France Color: Deep purple to dark brown Taste: Fruity, salty, brinySmall and salty, these olives from southern France have a touch of sourness. Their unique flavor profile makes them a popular addition to seafood dishes, and they are often used on pizzas, but their best-known role must be in Niçoise salads. Talebi says their strong herbal flavor can be too much for some people. 09 of 12 Nyons PicturePartners / GETTY IMAGES Region: FranceColor: Dark purple to blackTaste: Earthy, bitter, mildly sweetThis very dark-colored, almost black, olive is grown in Nyons, France. “Their skin is slightly wrinkled, and they are known for their earthy and sweet, meaty flavor," says Hilliard-Knapp. She enjoys them straight from the jar for snacking. "They can also be made into a tapenade or added to rice dishes," she says. 10 of 12 Picholine atm2003 / GETTY IMAGES Region: France and MoroccoColor: GreenTaste: Citrus, herbal, tangy With "a crisp, lemony flavor with a hint of anise," according to Bridenstine, These large olives are perfect for appetizers and also good in stews. They are cultivated in both Morocco and the French Riviera. 11 of 12 Thassos alpaksoy / GETTY IMAGES Region: GreeceColor: Dark brown to blackTaste: Rich, salty, fruityBridenstine is a fan of these tasty, dry-cured olives from the Greek island of Thassos. Also known as Throumba olives, they "are thin-skinned and mellow, pairing well with blue cheese and citrus," she says of the wrinkled olives that are raisin-like in appearance and great for snacking. 12 of 12 Canned, Pitted Black Olives Merrimon / GETTY IMAGES Region: VariesColor: BlackTaste: VariesNot in the same league as other types of olives, canned black olives have their fans. They can elevate a simple salad and be a wonderful pizza topper. Plus, as they come pitted or pre-sliced, you don't need to worry about biting into a pit in your pasta salad. "Some black olives are intentionally made black, even if they aren't fully ripe," adds Dzaja. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit