Kalamata
Olea europaea 'Kalamata' · Fruit
Top 10 pairings
The Kalamata is the famous Greek table olive of the Peloponnese — a large, deep purple-black, almond-shaped drupe with smooth glossy skin, elongated and pointed at one end rather than round. Brine- or red-wine-vinegar-cured rather than lye-treated, it has tender, meaty, oil-rich flesh and a flavour that is rich, fruity and winey with a tangy, savoury bite — the cornerstone olive of Greek salad, meze and tapenade.
Picking a good onedrag
Firm and glossy under a bright brineSlack and dull, the brine turned
SettledEveryday bestIt has dulled but stays dense. Use it in tapenade, pizza, roast chicken or braises.
The olivesA shade duller, skin still whole
Brine, jar or open tinSediment below, fruit still under
Squeeze one, once openGives a little, flesh still dense
Smell the open packSalty and sharp, a little vinegary
These cues are Olive's, and hold across its varieties; where this one differs, its own page says so.
What you get from one
100%
Edible part
2.7 g drained · USDA records no refuse
2.7 g
Weight each
each one