High among foods we take for granted is the olive. It garnishes martinis and sandwiches and is passed at cocktail parties, and seldom requires an extra fee to partake of.
It wasn’t always thus, and still isn’t along the Mediterranean. In countries from Turkey to Spain, the olive (and its oil) has been coveted, blessed and its quality debated for centuries. In California, too, artisanal olive oil has gained near cult status and comparative tastings of olives a consumer sport.
Just how different are the olives we find in the market? We focused on the stuffed, pitted green olives–usually from Spain and most often stuffed with pimiento and sold in glass jars or bottles–because it is the most widely consumed.
After tasting six brands, we were left with the impression that olives mostly taste like olives. The residual taste of salt or brine and the firmness and fruitiness of the flesh are the elements that draw comment most often and helped us select the winners here. Listed are the top three finishers, with tasters’ comments. The rest are listed in order of finish.
And the winners are . . .
1. Dominick’s queen stuffed with minced pimientos (5.4 points. $2.69; 7-ounce jar [drained weight]; 38 cents per ounce.) “Plump and uniform (green) color.” “Firm and mellow, not overly salty.”
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2. (tie) Jewel Spanish queen olives minced pimiento stuffing (4.4 points. $2; 7-ounce jar [drained weight]; 28 cents per ounce.) “Medium to large size.” “Firm and very chewy.” “Well brined.”
Santa Barbara pimento stuffed martini olives (4.4 points. $3.79; 8-ounce jar [drained weight]; 47 cents per ounce.) “Big and firm with even color and size.” “Mild herbal aroma.” “Juicy and nicely chewy.”
OTHERS RASTED
3. (tie) Mario Spanish queen; Mario’s Spanish manzanilla (4.2 points). 4. Country Delight stuffed Spanish (3.6 points).
Products are scored on a scale of 1 to 9, with 9 being highest. Prices are based on what we paid for them at the market and may reflect sales or discounts from frequent-shopper cards. Prices per-ounce are rounded to the nearest cent.