| Olives have been eaten and the oil used since | | | | but you must pick the right olive to |
| biblical times but it wasn't until recently | | | | compliment the main food. Some olives can be |
| that they have enjoyed so much press due to | | | | salty, some sweet and others earthy and |
| their cardioprotective properties. About 1/3 | | | | rustic. Here's a guide to the different |
| of the olive is monounsaturated fatty acid, | | | | types of olives and the foods they go best |
| commonly refereed to as "the good fat" which | | | | with. |
| is thought to lower cholesterol levels and | | | | |
| help prohibit the buildup of plaque in the | | | | Sweet Flavored Olives |
| arteries. | | | | |
| | | | Green olives with herbs de Provence have a |
| Olives are grown mostly in the Mediterranean | | | | vibrant citrus flavored and is a delightful |
| countries where they are a large part of the | | | | blend of herbs de Provence spices and large |
| diet. Studies have shown that people in the | | | | green olives. It is an excellent choice to |
| Mediterranean regions who eat a lot of olives | | | | use in surf dishes and with sweet spices. |
| tend to have less heart disease as well as | | | | |
| less incidence of certain types of cancer. | | | | Earthy Flavored Olives |
| | | | |
| The olives that we are used to seeing in the | | | | Nicoises is a earthy rich olive commonly used |
| stores and eating are not fresh olives from | | | | in salad. The curing of this olive in |
| the trees. In their raw state, olives are | | | | red-wine vinegar gives it a distinctive |
| quite bitter and they must be "cured" in | | | | taste. Mount Athos green olives with |
| order to be palatable. Different methods of | | | | sun-dried tomatoes are olives combined with |
| curing produce different flavors in the | | | | sun dried tomatoes. The heavy flavor of this |
| olives and today, there are dozens of gourmet | | | | olive make it a great snack all by itself! |
| olives widely available. | | | | Sun-dried olives have a rich flavor that |
| | | | blends wonderfully in sauces for serving over |
| Olives can be used to add zest to any dish - | | | | pasta. |