Greek Olives: Types, Varieties and How They Taste

The Greek olives you will meet most often in the UK are Kalamata (dark purple, rich and fruity), Halkidiki (large, green, crisp and mild), Conservolea or Amfissa (the workhorse variety, green to brown), Throumba (wrinkled, sweet and mellow) and Koroneiki (a small olive grown mainly for oil). They differ in cultivar, in how they are cured and in what they suit. This guide explains each one, how Greek olives compare with Spanish ones, and how to choose a jar you will finish.

TL;DR

• Kalamata is the dark, almond-shaped olive with a winey, fruity flavour. Halkidiki is the big green olive, firm and gently tangy.
• Conservolea (often sold as Amfissa) is the most important Greek table olive by volume, and Throumba is the wrinkled, naturally sweet one.
• Koroneiki is tiny and grown for oil, not for the meze plate.
• Much of the flavour you taste comes from the curing method, not just the variety.
• “Kalamata” is a protected name, so check the label for where the olives were grown.

Table of Contents

• Why there is no single “Greek olive”
• The main Greek table olives
• Koroneiki: the olive that belongs in the bottle
• Quick comparison
• Kalamata or Halkidiki: which one?
• Greek versus Spanish olives
• Why curing changes everything
• How to read a Greek olive label
• Our view on choosing Greek olives
• Where to buy Greek olives in the UK
• Serving ideas
• FAQ
• Sources

Why there is no single “Greek olive”

People often talk about Greek olives as if they were one flavour. They are not. Greece is the world’s third-largest producer of table olives, and its groves grow dozens of cultivars, each shaped by its own soil and climate.

The number is disputed. Official lists usually give 45 to 50 varieties, but nurseries who work with local growers say the real number is above 100, because many local varieties have never been registered.

For a shopper, two ideas make the whole subject easier:

1. Use. Some olives are grown to eat (table olives), some to press (oil olives), and some do both.
2. Curing. A fresh olive is inedible because of a bitter compound called oleuropein. What reaches your plate has been cured in water, brine, salt or oil, and the method changes the taste as much as the variety does.

The main Greek table olives

Kalamata

The best-known Greek olive. It is large, almond-shaped and deep purple to near black, with firm, meaty flesh and a rich, fruity, slightly winey taste. It comes from the area around the town of Kalamata in the southern Peloponnese.

Kalamata is a strong all-rounder. It suits Greek salad, pasta, flatbreads and a plate of cheese. If you want to understand how it differs from a generic tinned black olive, we have a separate piece on Kalamata versus ordinary black olives.

According to the Greek producers’ figures, Kalamata accounts for roughly 15 to 25 per cent of Greek table olive production.

Halkidiki (Chalkidiki)

Named after the peninsula in northern Greece, this is the large green olive you see stuffed with peppers or almonds. The flesh is crisp, the flavour mild, buttery and lightly tangy. It is the olive for people who think they do not like olives, because it is much less intense than a Kalamata.

It is also the best olive for flavouring. Its firm flesh takes up herbs, lemon and chilli well, which is why we sell it in several forms: plain Chalkidiki green olives, with oregano, with lemon, with chilli flakes and with red pepper. Halkidiki is estimated at 10 to 20 per cent of Greek table olive output.

Conservolea and Amfissa

Conservolea (Konservolia) is the quiet giant of Greek table olives. Producers’ figures put it at at least half of national table olive production. Different regions give it different names and styles: Amfissa in central Greece, Arta in the north-west, Pelion near Volos. Colour runs from green through brown to black depending on when it is picked. The flesh is firm and meaty with a balanced, slightly fruity flavour, and it makes a good everyday olive.

It is also a dual-purpose variety, which means it can be eaten or pressed, as industry experts point out.

Throumba

Throumba (also spelt Thrubes or Throuba) olives are wrinkled, black and soft, with a sweet, mellow, almost raisin-like character and little bitterness. They are left to ripen fully and dry on the tree, then lightly salted, and the best-known ones come from Thassos. If you find Kalamata too sharp, try these. They are also a good partner for a robust cheese or a crusty loaf.

Greece has protected several of these names. Among the olive products with EU Protected Designation of Origin status are Kalamata, Konservolia (Amfissa), Throumba (Thassos, Chios and Crete) and the green Halkidiki olive.

Cretan and other regional olives

Crete has its own traditions, with small, often mixed olives cured in brine with herbs. Our assorted Greek olives with oregano from Crete are a simple way to taste that style. Elsewhere you will find Nafplion, Megaritiki, Tsounati and many local varieties that rarely leave Greece. The International Olive Council’s variety catalogue lists Greek cultivars such as Chalkidikis, Kalamon, Koroneiki and Tsounati if you want to explore.

Koroneiki: the olive that belongs in the bottle

Koroneiki is the variety you will hear about most in Greek olive oil and least on an olive plate. The fruit is small, and it is not the one to pick for snacking. Its strength is the oil: a low-yield, high-quality press with a peppery, grassy character.

That is why a Greek olive oil label naming Koroneiki tells you something useful. Our PDO Kalamata extra virgin olive oil, made from Koroneiki olives comes in a 2L tin, and our high polyphenol limited production extra virgin olive oil in 1L.

The rule of thumb: eat Kalamata, Halkidiki, Conservolea and Throumba; press Koroneiki.

Quick comparison

Kalamata or Halkidiki: which one?

This is the choice most readers actually face at the shelf.

• Pick Kalamata if you want depth. It stands up to feta, tomatoes, red onion and strong dressings, and it holds its own in a cooked sauce.
• Pick Halkidiki if you want freshness or a crowd-pleaser. It is the better choice for a party bowl, for kids, and for infusing with lemon, oregano or chilli.
• Pick both for a Greek salad. The dark and green colours look good together, and the two flavours balance each other.

For spreads, both varieties work well as tapenade. See our Kalamata olive tapenade, the Kalamata and black olives spread with lemon and oregano or the green olive tapenade.

Greek versus Spanish olives

The difference is less about country than about varieties and curing.

• Varieties. Spanish table olives are usually Manzanilla, Gordal or Hojiblanca. Greek ones are Kalamata, Halkidiki, Conservolea and Throumba. The Spanish olives you know best tend to be green, stuffed and brined. Greek olives cover a wider spread of colours and textures.
• Curing. Many Greek olives are fully ripened and cured in brine or salt, giving a fruitier, more wine-like flavour. Others, like Halkidiki, are picked green and are crisper.
• Use. Spanish olives are commonly served as tapas with a drink. Greek olives are more often part of a meal, in salads, bakes and on a meze table.

Neither is better. They are different, and a good cook keeps both.

Why curing changes everything

Because raw olives are bitter, every table olive is the result of a process. Water curing leaches the bitterness out slowly. Brine curing, the most common method, adds salt and lactic fermentation. Dry salt curing gives the intense, wrinkled black olive. Throumba is the special case, since part of the work is done by the sun while the fruit is still on the branch.

In practice that means two jars of “Kalamata” can taste quite different. Look for olives packed in brine or olive oil, and check that the ingredient list is short: olives, water, salt, olive oil, perhaps herbs or lemon.

How to read a Greek olive label

1. Name of the variety. Kalamata, Halkidiki, Conservolea, Throumba. A vague “Greek-style” says little.
2. Place of growing. Kalamata is a protected name in the EU. According to the list of olive cultivars, the same cultivar grown elsewhere is generally sold as Kalamon, so “Kalamata-style” tells you the cultivar, not the origin. Check the rules where you buy, since UK labelling has its own protected-name scheme.
3. Whole or pitted. Stone-in olives keep more flavour and a firmer bite. Pitted are handier for cooking.
4. Packing liquid. Brine keeps them sharp, oil makes them softer and richer. Our Chalkidiki olives in olive oil come in a 700g pack.
5. Producer. Named, traceable producers are a good sign. For a wider look at how to tell real Mediterranean food from imitation, this guide on how to spot authentic Mediterranean cooking is worth a read, even though it is written in Spanish.

Our view on choosing Greek olives

We import food from Greek producers, and we have tasted a lot of olives. Our advice is simple.

Start with Halkidiki if you are new to Greek olives, and add Kalamata when you want more intensity. Do not judge a variety from a single supermarket tin: a tin of pasteurised black olives of unknown origin has little in common with a hand-picked Kalamata cured in brine. Buy the olive for the job. Use Koroneiki-based oil for dressing and finishing, and keep the table olives for the table.

Finally, buy a larger pack only when you know you like it. Olives keep well in their liquid in the fridge, but the best way to find your favourite is to try two or three styles side by side.

— Ioannis

Where to buy Greek olives in the UK

We stock Greek olives, olive oil, honey, sweets and other Mediterranean staples, sourced from Greek producers. Browse the full range on Greek Tastes 4 All. The site offers free shipping on orders over £59.95 and 15% off your first order.

Serving ideas

• Greek salad: Kalamata plus a few green Halkidiki, with tomato, cucumber, red onion, feta and oregano.
• Meze board: Halkidiki with lemon, Throumba, feta, bread and a good extra virgin olive oil to dip.
• Pasta: Chop Kalamata or spread tapenade through hot pasta with garlic and a spoon of the pasta water.
• Roast chicken or fish: Add Conservolea or Kalamata in the last 15 minutes so they warm without drying out.
• Drinks: Chilli Halkidiki olives go well with a cold beer, lemon olives with white wine.

FAQ

What are the best Greek olives?

There is no single best one. Kalamata is the most celebrated for its rich flavour, while Halkidiki is the easiest to enjoy and the most versatile. Throumba suits people who like a sweeter, softer olive.

Are Kalamata and Greek olives the same thing?

No. Kalamata is one Greek variety among many, named after the area around Kalamata in the Peloponnese. Greek olives also include green Halkidiki, Conservolea, Throumba and others, and Kalamata is a protected name in the EU.

What is the most popular olive in Greece?

By volume, Conservolea is the most important Greek table olive, at more than half of production. Abroad, Kalamata is the best known.

Can I eat Koroneiki olives?

You can, but they are small and mostly grown for oil, so they make a less satisfying snack. Use them in the form of extra virgin olive oil instead.

Sources

• Parthenon Olives: Greek table olives
• Visit Greece: Select protected designation of origin products
• Kostelenos Nurseries: Olive varieties
• International Olive Council: World catalogue of olive varieties
• Wikipedia: List of olive cultivars

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• Greek Assorted Olives with Oregano from Crete
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• Olive: The blessed Greek fruit
• Greek Green Olives with Oregano Traditional Chalkidiki Variety 1kg