Getting to Know Your Olives
Nutritional Benefits of Olives
The juice of the olive, otherwise known as olive oil, is a delicious source of powerful antioxidants. The oil from the olive is monounsaturated and has a positive effect on cholesterol levels in the blood stream.
Monounsaturated fats are not considered an "essential" nutrient, but they should be an important part of our diets because they help keep cholesterol from sticking to our artery walls.
In addition, olives will help control blood sugar, a big plus in a controlled carbohydrate diet. After all, when the blood sugar is under control, so is the insulin. And, insulin is a huge factor in our bodies' storing food as fat.
Types of Olives
Of the many olives available to us, here are four distinct types along with a guide to their appeal.
Kalamata
One of the more popular varieties, these Greek black olives are plump and juicy with a powerful flavor, bright acidity and high salt content. They are delicious with soy products like tofu and tempeh, and work wonders with leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cauliflower, tempering bitterness with acidity.
Moroccan oil-cured
These black olives have a wrinkled, leathery surface, the result of a dry-salt curing process; later, a long, luxurious olive oil bath softens and enriches them. Because they retain more of their natural bitterness, oil-cured olives are best when cooked. These little olives marry particularly well with tangy tomatoes, celery, eggplant, citrus and sweet root vegetables.
Picholine
A slender, full-flavored green olive from the south of France, the picholine is mildly bitter, faintly sweet and tart with a nice, crunchy texture. Olive's al a Picholine are steeped in a solution of lime and wood ashes before marinating in salty brine.
Nicoise
These are small, tart, red-brown olives with a light salty taste. They are interchangeable with Italian gaeta olives. Gaetas are plump, brine-cured olives that are packed in oil.
