Kalamata olives Ελιά Καλαμάτας
The archetypal dark almond-shaped Greek olive, renowned for its vinous cure and rich flesh.
- Type
- table olives
- Designation
- PDO
- Made from
- Kalamon variety
- Where
- Peloponnese
- Season
- harvest-autumn-winter
- Price
- €€
Taste and texture
Fleshy, rich, and fruity with a classic wine-vinegar bite and mild brine saltiness. The texture is firm yet tender and yielding.
firm
saltysharpcreamyfruitybittersweetintense
How to buy
Buy loose from deli tubs or in olive-oil-topped glass jars with skins plump and glossy.
Seek the PDO Kalamata certification to avoid generic imitation table olives.
The rules in short
Harvested fully ripe in Messinia from Kalamon olive trees, naturally slit and cured in brine, red wine vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil.
Serving ideas
- Tossed whole into a classic summer village salad
- Stirred through slow-cooked stews near the end of cooking
- Served alongside crusty bread and sheep feta
Substitutes
Gaeta olives, Niçoise olives.
Read more: How Feta Is Made, and Where It Comes From.
Cooked in
Check the register. Designations are listed from our own working list and have not yet been checked against the EU register. Check eAmbrosia before relying on a name.