Queen Kalamata

Have you ever noticed a large, delicious dark purple olive in your plate? It was certainly a Kalamata olive. It’s a delicious variety of olives named after the city of Kalamata in Greece.

Kalamata olives are very plump with a lot of meat and I find them particularly good. Naturally colorful foods often have strong health benefits.

Like other olives Kalamatas are rich in antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties.

Kalamatas’ purple color make them stand out from other varieties of olives. © By Pauline Mornet

Kalamata olives grow on Kalamaton trees in the Pelopponese, a southern region of Greece.

Besides their deep purple color Kalamata olives differ from other types of black olives in size and taste. They tend to be bigger and they also have a richer taste. Maybe because they are harvested when they are fully mature in late Fall. Kalamatas have a distinctive almond shape compared to other olives which are often rounder.

In the European Union, and in most cases in the U.S., the name Kalamata is used only for olives that are grown in the Messinia region, part of the Greek Peloponnese peninsula.

Kalamata olives are perfect to eat by themselves as they are super nourishing. And of course they make a great topping for your classic Greek salad.

A Greek salad with Kalamata olives, cucumbers, tomatoes and feta. © By Pauline Mornet