From the olive tree to your table: why are European olives a must this holiday season?

Miami (ots)

A quality table olive is the result of a careful process in which the thousand-year-old tradition of cultivating the olive tree and the most modern technology coexist. It is a natural food, one of the most traditional of the Mediterranean Diet, that you’ve got to have at your table during the holidays.

With the heavier meals that tend to be present during the holidays, European Olives are a great lighter, healthier option. It is a very complete low-calorie food that has a number of important properties and nutrients; its great versatility allows you to enjoy it at any time of the day: snacks, appetizers, accompanying drinks or in them, but also in delicious creations to surprise your loved ones around the table.

Olives are a great ally for your healthy resolutions in 2024. There is nothing better than adding European Olives to your daily diet to start the year in a new, fun, and healthy way! Given the great variety of table olives that exist, their hundreds of shapes, forms, types, and processing methods make them the perfect fit for any palate.

Meticulous Production

From the harvesting (between October and February) of the olives to their packaging, some vital steps are taken to achieve the best product. And in this meticulous process, some factors are decisive: the ripening of the olive, its harvesting method, and the multitude of different varieties that exist. The land where the olive tree is planted also influences the ripening dates of table olives, while the weather (temperatures, rainfall in the field, cold, etc.) determines the beginning of harvesting.

With avant-garde techniques, we are able to produce one of the most valued foods in European gastronomy, which also fits perfectly with American gastronomy. European olives encompass the sensory universe with the four flavors they contain (bitter, sour, sweet, and salty). If you are looking to wow your guests this holiday season, allow us to share a few recipes featuring European Olives, from renowned chefs:

– MANZANILLA OLIVE TAPENADE BY CHEF FRANCO RUIZ

Manzanilla olive tapenade By Franco Ruiz | olivesatyourtable.eu

– LAMB CHOPS WITH HOJIBLANCA ROMESCO BY CHEF JESÚS NUÑEZ

Lamb chops with hojiblanca romesco By Jesús Nuñez | olivesatyourtable.eu

– QUEEN OLIVE AND ALMOND TURRÓN BY CHEF MOSES PONCE

Queen olive and almond turrón By Moses Ponce | olivesatyourtable.eu

These messages are part of the “Europe at Your Table with Olives from Spain” campaign, promoted by the Interprofesional de la Aceituna de Mesa (Interaceituna) and supported by the European Union, to raise awareness of the benefits of consuming European olives in the U.S. market.

The U.S. is the primary market for olives produced in Europe, importing olives worth US $427 million in 2020. This means that more than 79% of the olives that Americans consumed in 2020 came from countries that make up the European Union. Spain is the world leader in table olive production and exports; it has 2,650,801 hectares of olive groves, of which 154,978 (5.85%) are used for table olives, according to the survey on crop areas and yields (ESYRCE). About INTERACEITUNA

INTERACEITUNA is the Table Olive Interprofessional Organization recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Environment that brings together all the organizations representing the sector, such as ASAJA, ASEMESA, COAG, Cooperativas Agroalimentarias and UPA. It was created to implement programs and activities of general interest, disseminate information about the Spanish table olive and carry out research and development programs on various production techniques.