Spain produces half of the table olives eaten in the world. And yet, in most Swiss supermarkets, you always find the same two or three bland varieties — green ones stuffed with pepper, black ones in brine, Greek kalamata to look "Mediterranean". The real world of Spanish olives is a thousand times wider, and infinitely more subtle. Here is how to step into it.
A quality olive is not just a condiment. It is a fruit worked on for months — matured, fermented, sometimes pricked by hand. In southern Spain, in the province of Seville, some family houses still make olives using methods that have not changed since the 18th century. That is the world we stand for here.
The six major varieties
- Manzanilla. The most famous. Round shape, firm flesh, fresh and buttery taste. Excellent green or stuffed.
- Gordal Sevillana. The giant from Seville. Very large, very meaty, slightly crunchy skin. Best enjoyed plain, simply with flaky salt.
- Hojiblanca. Elongated, crunchy, with a noble bitterness. Excellent as olive oil and as a table olive.
- Picual. The most peppery in taste. Grassy, slightly bitter, lingering notes. Mostly used for oil, but excellent as a hot table olive.
- Empeltre. Aragon, Catalonia. Small, black, wrinkled, often dry-cured. Concentrated, fruity, almost sweet taste.
- Cornicabra. Toledo. Horn-shaped, thin and long. Firm texture, slightly peppery.
Which olive to choose
A variety for every craving
Tap a card: shape, taste and best use.
Seven preparations that change everything
- Aliñadas (seasoned). Olives marinated with thyme, fennel, garlic, sometimes lemon. The most typical of Andalusia.
- Aderezadas. Green, in a mild brine, often with a touch of vinegar. Fresh, thirst-quenching profile.
- Negra al natural. Black olives dry-cured, without brine. They concentrate the aromas of the fruit, slightly wrinkled.
- Partidas (cracked). The olive is cracked by hand before fermentation, which speeds up maturation and gives a more tender flesh.
- Rellenas (stuffed). Anchovy, pepper, confit garlic, cheese. The filling must be recognisable.
- Picante. Olives macerated with chilli from La Vera, garlic, smoked paprika. Handy as a tapa with a glass of vermouth.
- Encurtidas. Olives in a jar with white wine vinegar — less bitter, more tangy. To be eaten within six months.
A good table olive is never eaten on the day the jar is opened. That is my absolute rule. When I buy Manzanilla olives, I open them, transfer them with their brine into a glass jar, add two or three slices of lemon and a sprig of fresh thyme, and close it. Twenty-four hours later, the aromas have melded and the lemon has scented the flesh. It never fails, and it turns an already excellent product into an exceptional one.
How to choose when buying
- Variety stated. If the label just says "green olives", be wary. A good house names the variety: Manzanilla, Gordal, Hojiblanca.
- Clear brine. The liquid in the jar should be clear, slightly yellow. A cloudy, whitish brine signals a poorly controlled fermentation.
- House preparation. Pitted by hand, jarred by hand. The best Spanish houses say so on the label.
In the shop, then at the table
Four moves for better olives
What to look for, and how to serve them.
The art of serving
An olive comes out of the fridge thirty minutes beforehand. It is served in a small plain bowl, with a toothpick for the stones. Alongside: a piece of rustic bread, a glass of red Yzaguirre vermouth on ice, or a Fino from Jerez. No other tapa is needed to open a meal. This is the Spanish aperitivo in its purest form.
A well-made olive is five months of patience for two seconds on the palate.Sevillian olive master
What to remember
Spanish olives are a category to explore the way you explore cheeses — by variety, by house, by preparation. Manzanilla for freshness, Gordal for flesh, Hojiblanca for noble bitterness, Empeltre for concentration. Always plain or lightly dressed: the quality of an olive is judged by its flesh, not by its filling.
Our Plaza del Sol (Alicante) olives are in our olive section. Delivery in Switzerland in 3 to 7 working days, free returns within 14 days.
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