Kamil Perry
Olives are a popular addition to a cheese board, and there are many varieties to choose from. From crisp and buttery to sour and bitter, the possibilities are endless. Whether you're looking for a sweet and nutty flavour or something more intense and tangy, the right olive can elevate your cheese board to the next level.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Origin | Puglia, Spain, Greece, France, USA, Morocco |
| Colour | Green, Black |
| Flavour | Sour, Bitter, Tangy, Savoury, Sweet, Intense, Rich, Fruity, Briney, Buttery, Crisp |
| Preservation | Red Wine Vinegar, Oil-cured, Brine-cured, Dry-cured, Salt-cured |
| Pairing | Chevre, Brie, Fontinella, Camembert, Provolone, Sheep's Milk Feta, Halloumi, Manchego, Idiazabal, Crust Bread, Fino Sherry, Capers, Meat Slices, Cheese, Nuts, Wine |
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What You'll Learn
- Kalamata olives: a popular black variety from Greece, tangy and savoury, pair well with creamy and briny Mediterranean cheeses
- Manzanilla olives: from Spain, complement Spanish cheeses like Manchego or Idiazabal
- Mission olives: from the USA, oil-cured or brine-cured, bright and grassy flavours, go well with cheese, nuts and wine
- Large green olives from Puglia: crisp, buttery, and slightly sweet, great for stuffing
- French olives: fruity and briney, pair well with soft cheeses like Brie or Camembert, and Provolone
Kalamata olives: a popular black variety from Greece, tangy and savoury, pair well with creamy and briny Mediterranean cheeses
Kalamata olives are a popular black variety of olive from Greece. They are tangy and savoury, with a beautiful purple hue, thanks to their preservation in red wine vinegar. They pair well with creamy and briny Mediterranean cheeses, such as sheep's milk feta and halloumi.
Kalamata olives are a great choice for a cheese board as they offer a contrast of flavours and textures. Their tangy and savoury notes complement the creaminess of Mediterranean cheeses, while their purple hue adds a pop of colour to the board.
When creating a cheese board, it is important to consider the balance of flavours and textures. Kalamata olives can add a savoury and tangy element to the board, which can be a nice contrast to the creaminess of the cheese. The olives can also provide a pop of colour, making the board more visually appealing.
In addition to Kalamata olives, other types of olives that pair well with cheese include Manzanilla olives from Spain and large green olives from Puglia. Manzanilla olives are slightly bitter but also sweet and nutty, making them a good match for semi-hard, aged Spanish cheeses such as Manchego or Idiazabal. The large green olives from Puglia are crisp, buttery, and slightly sweet, making them a good choice for stuffing and pairing with fresh cheeses such as chevre, brie, or fontinella.
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Manzanilla olives: from Spain, complement Spanish cheeses like Manchego or Idiazabal
Manzanilla olives are oval-shaped, green olives from Spain. They are often stuffed with pimento, and dressed with olive oil and fresh garlic. Manzanilla olives are a great choice for a cheese board, especially when paired with Spanish cheeses like Manchego or Idiazabal. These semi-hard, aged cheeses are slightly salty, but also sweet and nutty, making them a great complement to the Manzanilla olives.
Manzanilla olives are also a good choice for a cheese board because of their size. Their larger size makes them a great candidate for stuffing, which can add a variety of flavours to your cheese board. You could try stuffing them with almonds, red peppers, garlic, or even blue cheese, for a unique flavour profile.
In terms of what to serve with your Manzanilla olives and Spanish cheese, a crusty bread and fino sherry is a classic combination. Manzanilla olives also go well with red wine, so this could be another option for your cheese board.
When creating a cheese board, it's always a good idea to include a variety of different flavours and textures. As well as Manzanilla olives and Spanish cheese, you could include some fresh cheeses like chevre, or brie, and some capers and meat slices. A tapenade made from Nicoise olives would also be a tasty addition, and would add a faint note of licorice to your cheese board.
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Mission olives: from the USA, oil-cured or brine-cured, bright and grassy flavours, go well with cheese, nuts and wine
Mission olives are a variety of black olive from the USA. They are oil-cured or brine-cured and have bright, grassy flavours that go well with cheese, nuts and wine. They are an excellent choice for a charcuterie board, as their juicy, fleshy texture and sour bitterness make them the star of the show.
When it comes to choosing cheese to pair with your mission olives, fresh cheeses such as chevre, brie, or fontinella are a good option. These crisp, buttery, slightly sweet cheeses will complement the grassy notes of the olives without overwhelming them.
If you're looking for a wine to accompany your cheese and olives, a red wine is a classic choice. The sour bitterness of the olives will help to bring out the rich, fruity notes of the wine.
To round out your cheese board, consider adding some nuts. Almonds or walnuts will add a crunchy texture and a subtle sweetness that will complement the grassy flavours of the olives.
Finally, some crusty bread will help to mop up any leftover olive oil or brine, ensuring that none of the delicious flavours go to waste.
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Large green olives from Puglia: crisp, buttery, and slightly sweet, great for stuffing
Large green olives from Puglia are a great choice for a cheese board. They are crisp and buttery, with a slightly sweet flavour, and their size makes them perfect for stuffing. These olives pair well with fresh cheeses, such as chevre, brie, or fontinella. Their crisp texture and buttery flavour also make them a good match for capers, meat slices, and other charcuterie board staples.
When creating a cheese board, it's important to consider the different flavours and textures that will complement each other. Olives are a great addition to a cheese board as they provide a juicy, fleshy, and slightly sour or bitter contrast to the cheeses. Other popular olive choices for a cheese board include Spanish Manzanilla olives, which are often stuffed with pimento, and Kalamata olives, a black variety from Greece with a tangy, savoury flavour. French olives are also a good option, as their fruity and briny flavour pairs well with soft cheeses like Brie or Camembert.
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French olives: fruity and briney, pair well with soft cheeses like Brie or Camembert, and Provolone
Olives are a great addition to a cheese board, especially when paired with the right cheeses. French olives, for example, are fruity and briney and go well with soft cheeses like Brie or Camembert. They also pair excellently with Provolone.
French olives are not the only variety that can be used on a cheese board. Large, crisp, buttery green olives from Puglia are a great candidate for stuffing and can be served whole with fresh cheeses, such as chevre, brie, or fontinella.
If you're looking for something a little more intense, tangy and savoury, Kalamata olives are a popular black variety from Greece that are preserved in red wine vinegar, giving them a beautiful purple hue. These pair well with creamy and briny Mediterranean cheeses, like sheep's milk feta and halloumi.
Manzanilla olives, also known as Spanish olives, are another option. These olives are oval-shaped and often stuffed with pimento. They complement Spanish varieties, like the semi-hard, aged Manchego or Idiazabal cheeses, which are slightly salty but also sweet and nutty.
No matter what olives you place on your cheese board, guests are sure to enjoy choosing their own briny adventure.
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Frequently asked questions
Kalamata olives, Manzanilla olives, and Liguria olives are all good options.
Creamy and briny Mediterranean cheeses like feta and halloumi go well with Kalamata olives. Brie and Camembert are good with fruity and briney French olives.
Olives go well with capers, meat slices, and nuts.
