Olives are grown throughout the Mediterranean region with Greece and Spain being the largest producers. When we first came to Spain and went to the grocery store, we noticed a huge variety of olives and olive oil. As a matter of fact, they each took up a whole isle by themselves. We decided we should try some olives, so we bought 2 varieties. Wow! Amazing! We normally like olives, and thought they would be a fun snack, but we had no idea that they would be so much more delicious than what we were used to. The olives usually come whole and are not pitted, but we don’t care. Olives have become a daily tapas for us at home. Since we are consuming much more than ever before, I thought I should find out the nutritional facts. And I was happy to find out that along with healthy monounsaturated fats, olives are rich in vitamin E, polyphenols and flavonoids. I will put links to several articles that give more information below.
Click here for an in depth article by whfoods.com
Click here for an article by sixwise.com
Click here for article by linda-rd
* As with all things, moderation is important. I believe that olives are good for you and I am happy that we have such delicious ones to choose from. However, they do have a higher sodium content, so it is important for people with high blood pressure to keep that it mind.
We have noticed many olive trees throughout our Andelusian travels. So out of curiosity we decided to try one fresh from the tree. We chose the darker riper ones to taste.
Fresh olives are bitter and not good to eat. Although you probably gathered that from the pictures! The olives need to be cured to remove the bitterness. The curing process usually involves soaking in oil, brine or water, or dry packing in salt for months. Or a faster method of soaking in lye, but this also takes away much of the flavor of the olive. I wonder if this different curing process is what makes the difference in olives in the US vs. olives in Europe.
OLIVE OIL
Of course olive oil is also full of the health benefits mentioned above, but without the sodium!
We have been making a simple olive oil and vinegar combo that we dip our fresh baguettes into. It is fantastic! And a great way to get some of those good fats that can be destroyed through the cooking process. The oil and vinegar is also good on salads, French fries, avocados, fresh tomatoes, and the list goes on.
Dave noticed this sign at one of the little grocery markets here locally. This sounded just too good to pass up. Fresh pressed local olive oil! Yes, please!
Let me tell you it was delicious! Fresh, soft, subtle flavors that blended so nicely with a hint of vinegar. It was great with our light lunch before siesta.
Those pictures were hilarious!! And Summer, they reminded me of visiting my grandmother’s sister, Aunt Della, in Idaho when I was 14. I didn’t know ripe olives existed. She took me for lunch at a fancy restaurant and ordered chicken salad for me with a ripe olive on top. I thought it was a grape! A rotten grape after I tasted it! And my face looked just like yours.
I can’t help but laugh whenever I see them too! They even make my mouth react with that bitter taste.
I don’t know what was more funny… seeing Summer and Luies faces or hearing dad giggle about it! 🙂 He sure got a kick out of seeing these! We sure do miss you guys!
Haha, wait till you see the picture my mom took of me on new years! The last picture I take in 2012 and… Well, just wait till you see it! 😉