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<pre>A "foodie" friend of mine speaks glowingly of the small Ligurian and Nicoise
[spelling?] olives which he buys at his boutique deli to use in salads.
Presumably, those are not the names of the olive c.v.'s. Can anyone tell me
the varieties used and what are the fruit's special attributes or is it the
pickling process that makes them such favoured table olives?

Alan Watt, Tanja Olives
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<pre>Alan, this was supposed to go into the next issue of The Olive Press, but
there was no room:

What are Ligurian Olives?
These are the olives of the Italian Riviera, picked in the hills along the
coast both east and west of Genoa. Picked late in the season, Ligurian
olives are black in color, high in oil, with a delicate sweet flavor. In
Liguria, the same olives are used for oil and for eating.
The Taggiasca (plural, Taggiasche) is a small olive, the size of the nail
on your little finger. It's a variety that was developed centuries ago by
the Benedictine monks near the Ligurian town of Taggia, hence the name.
They are a bit bigger and maybe a little meatier than the neighbouring
French Nicoise, which are grown a hundred miles to the west. Ligurian
olives are said to be a bit more buttery in flavour, and less acidic.
The traditional cure in the region is to soak freshly picked olives for 40
days in fresh water, which is changed daily. From there the olives are put
into a brine solution of water and sea salt, scented with thyme, rosemary,
and laurel bay leaves. You can also marinate them with a bit of orange
peel, fennel, fresh garlic cloves, and olive oil.
For a refreshing and unusual salad, combine shaved fennel, oregano and
Ligurian olives with a splash of sherry vinegar.

I also tasted the little Spanish Arbequina olives last year. They are
delicious. One of my fellow tasters remarked that she would gladly swap
them for kalamatas any day.

And if anyone can tell me where to buy these in Sydney's north, I would be
most grateful!
Best wishes,
Margaret
At 10:27 AM 7/02/01 +1100, you wrote:
>A "foodie" friend of mine speaks glowingly of the small Ligurian and Nicoise
>[spelling?] olives which he buys at his boutique deli to use in salads.
>Presumably, those are not the names of the olive c.v.'s. Can anyone tell me
>the varieties used and what are the fruit's special attributes or is it the
>pickling process that makes them such favoured table olives?
>
>Alan Watt, Tanja Olives
>
>
>
>************************************************* ****
>Books and Headline News about olive Oil:
>http://www.sadoun.com/olive.hrm
>************************************************* ****
>Addresses:
>Post message: OliveOil@yahoogroups.com
>Subscribe: OliveOil-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
>Unsubscribe: OliveOil-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>List owner: OliveOil-owner@yahoogroups.com
>URL to this page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OliveOil

Margaret Chidgey
Chidgey Consulting Pty Ltd
Technical writing and editing for science and industry.
Please note our new email address: chidgey@optusnet.com.au
</pre>
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<pre>Thanks Margaret - Useful information.
I have a price list from a Sydney providor claiming to distribute the
world's finest couverture. The company name is "THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT",
Australia Street, Camperdown 2050 Phone 02 95505477 and lists Arbequinas
[both organic and standard], Ligurian as well as Riviera Taggiasche. It
doesn't sound like a North Sydney address but they mention a mail order
service.
To the oil producers amongst us you will be interested to know that the
catalogue [1999] also lists some imported oils including an Italian oil with
lemon and herbs in 200ml. at$31.50 - you wish !
Does anyone know if the c.v. Taggiasca and the c.v. that produces the
"Nicoise" olive are available in Australia?

Alan Watt, Tanja Olives
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<pre>Really interesting Margaret, thanks.

However, you do not elaborate on the Nicoise olive. This is the Cailletier
variety which, as you say, is similar to the Taggiasca. It, too, is made
into both oil and table olives.

What is interesting is that they both produce rather mild and delicate
tasting oils - the Taggiasca with perhaps a little more kick than the
Cailletier which usually produces very sweet oils indeed.

Judy
----- Original Message -----
From: "Margaret Chidgey" <chidgey@optusnet.com.au>
To: <OliveOil@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: 07 February 2001 00:30
Subject: Re: [OliveOil] Favoured table olives


> Alan, this was supposed to go into the next issue of The Olive Press, but
> there was no room:
>
> What are Ligurian Olives?
> These are the olives of the Italian Riviera, picked in the hills along the
> coast both east and west of Genoa. Picked late in the season, Ligurian
> olives are black in color, high in oil, with a delicate sweet flavor. In
> Liguria, the same olives are used for oil and for eating.
> The Taggiasca (plural, Taggiasche) is a small olive, the size of the nail
> on your little finger. It's a variety that was developed centuries ago by
> the Benedictine monks near the Ligurian town of Taggia, hence the name.
> They are a bit bigger and maybe a little meatier than the neighbouring
> French Nicoise, which are grown a hundred miles to the west. Ligurian
> olives are said to be a bit more buttery in flavour, and less acidic.
> The traditional cure in the region is to soak freshly picked olives for 40
> days in fresh water, which is changed daily. From there the olives are put
> into a brine solution of water and sea salt, scented with thyme, rosemary,
> and laurel bay leaves. You can also marinate them with a bit of orange
> peel, fennel, fresh garlic cloves, and olive oil.
> For a refreshing and unusual salad, combine shaved fennel, oregano and
> Ligurian olives with a splash of sherry vinegar.
>
> I also tasted the little Spanish Arbequina olives last year. They are
> delicious. One of my fellow tasters remarked that she would gladly swap
> them for kalamatas any day.
>
> And if anyone can tell me where to buy these in Sydney's north, I would be
> most grateful!
> Best wishes,
> Margaret
> At 10:27 AM 7/02/01 +1100, you wrote:
> >A "foodie" friend of mine speaks glowingly of the small Ligurian and
Nicoise
> >[spelling?] olives which he buys at his boutique deli to use in salads.
> >Presumably, those are not the names of the olive c.v.'s. Can anyone tell
me
> >the varieties used and what are the fruit's special attributes or is it
the
> >pickling process that makes them such favoured table olives?
> >
> >Alan Watt, Tanja Olives
> >
> >
> >
> >************************************************* ****
> >Books and Headline News about olive Oil:
> >http://www.sadoun.com/olive.hrm
> >************************************************* ****
> >Addresses:
> >Post message: OliveOil@yahoogroups.com
> >Subscribe: OliveOil-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
> >Unsubscribe: OliveOil-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> >List owner: OliveOil-owner@yahoogroups.com
> >URL to this page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OliveOil
>
> Margaret Chidgey
> Chidgey Consulting Pty Ltd
> Technical writing and editing for science and industry.
> Please note our new email address: chidgey@optusnet.com.au
>
>
>
> ************************************************** ***
> Books and Headline News about olive Oil:
> http://www.sadoun.com/olive.hrm
> ************************************************** ***
> Addresses:
> Post message: OliveOil@yahoogroups.com
> Subscribe: OliveOil-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
> Unsubscribe: OliveOil-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> List owner: OliveOil-owner@yahoogroups.com
> URL to this page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OliveOil
>
>
>
</pre>
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<pre>Regarding Ligurian Olives

I have processed frantoi (yellow green) by just rinsing, then soaking in
10% brine. Nothing else. I reckon the results are pretty good. I even
fooled the experts and importers.

I am sure black ones would be equally delicious, just shorter processing
time.

Stan
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<pre>stan

how long were they matured? I've some manzanillo uncracked 1 year in
7.5% brine very nice now. That is , 7.5% salt to the weight of the
fruit. What are the spices or herbs (after maturation) that make the
ligurian olives different?

Roger farquhar

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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<pre>Roger,
Ususal way to specify brine is the concentration of salt to water, so
7.5% brine is 7.5g salt to 100g water (which is 100ml) OR 75g to 1000ml
(1 litre).

Roger Farquhar wrote:

>
> how long were they matured? I've some manzanillo uncracked 1 year in
> 7.5% brine very nice now. That is , 7.5% salt to the weight of the
> fruit. What are the spices or herbs (after maturation) that make the
> ligurian olives different?
>
> Roger farquhar
>
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<pre>Dear Phil Bramly,
You were asking about the origin of the cultivated
olive tree (olea europeaea L.). Not like the
cultivated vine that were brought to the Levant during
the third milenium BC from Anatolia, the olive tree
were cultivated simutenusly in several places around
the Medeateranne. The use of the olive oil by man
probabely wild olives, start during the Neolithic
period - 7th milaium BC. According to the study of
handreds of pits from Chalcolithic sites in Israel,
the cultivation of the tree happened during this
period - the 4th milenium.
cheers
David Eitam


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</pre>
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