Olives
are fruit of the tree know as Olea eurpaea. “Olea” is the Latin word for
“oil” reflecting the olives very high fat content, of 75% is oleic acid, a
monounsaturated that has been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels.
“Europaea” remids us that olives are native to Mediterranean region of Europe.
Olive cannot be eaten right off of the tree; they require special processing to
reduce their intrinsic bitterness, caused by the glycoside oleuropein, which is
concentrated in their skin. These processing methods vary with the olive
variety, cultivation region, and the desired taste, texture, and color to be
created.
Some olives are picked green and
unripe, while others are allowed to fully ripe on the tree to a black color.
Yet, not all of the black olives available begin with a black color. Some
processing methods expose unripe greens olives to the air, and the subsequent
oxidation turn them a dark color.
Some of the many available delicious
varieties of olives include Moroccan oil-cured, Kalamata, Nicois, Picholine,
and Manzanilla. In addition to varying in size and appearance, tha flavor of
olives spans the range from sour to smoky to bitter to acidic. In addition to
whole olives, you can often find them pitted.
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