How oil works
The fatty-acid profile: why oleic acid is the hero
The backbone of olive oil is one fat: oleic acid. Its dominance is why the oil keeps, why it cooks well, and how a lab can tell it apart from a seed oil.
Read the story →Tuesday 6 October 2026Since 2004 · in English and French · 25 years in the olive trade
Every type of olive, and the oil it becomes.
Olive Oil and Lemon Juice: Real Uses vs the Cleanse Myth
Olive oil and lemon juice make a great dressing but not a liver cleanse. What the morning shot really does, the gallstone flush risk,…
October 4, 2026Olive Oil for Ear Wax: How to Use It, and When Not To
Olive oil for ear wax softens a plug so it can work its way out. The NHS routine, how long it takes, and when to skip the drops and see…
October 1, 2026Fruitless Olive Tree Guide: Varieties, Pollen and Care
A fruitless olive tree gives you the silver canopy without the staining fruit drop. Which varieties are truly fruitless, and how to grow one well.
September 28, 2026Guides
How to Cure Your Own Olives (Without Lye)
Straight off the tree, an olive is inedible — bitter enough to make you wince. Curing is how we fix that, and you can do it at home…
- How to Taste Olive Oil
- How Long Do Olives Last? Storage and Shelf Life
- Olive Oil Grades Explained
- Olive Tree Care: Watering, Pruning and Feeding
Comparisons
Kalamata vs Black Olives: What’s the Difference?
Kalamata are ripened and brine-cured. Tinned black olives are picked green and oxidised. Why one tastes of wine and the other of almost nothing.
- Extra Virgin vs Virgin Olive Oil: The Difference Is a Number
- Early-Harvest vs Late-Harvest Oil
- Black Olives vs Green Olives: What’s the Difference?
- Olive Harvesting: Hand vs Machine
Kitchen
Cooking With Olives: A Practical Guide
An olive that is delicious from the jar can wreck a dish, because heat does three things to it: it drives out salt, it softens the flesh, and…
- Cheese and Olive Pairing Guide
- Chicken Marbella: The Olive and Prune Dish That Refuses to Date
- The Gilda: Three Ingredients on a Stick, and the Best Olive Snack in Spain
- The Best Olives for Pizza: Which Varieties Actually Work
Stories
The Oldest Olive Tree in the World: ~4,000 Years in Crete
In a village in Crete stands an olive tree up to 4,000 years old — still making olives. A timeline of everything it has outlived, and the one…
- The True Cost of an Olive: Where Your Money Actually Goes
- How Olive Oil Gets Cut: Blending, Refining & Fraud
- Olive Oil Fraud, Explained
- The Most Expensive Olives in the World, and What You Are Actually Paying For
Types of olives, A to Z 87
- Adramytini
- Aglandau
- Alfonso (Botija)
- Aloreña de Málaga
- Arauco
- Arbequina
- Arbosana
- Ascolana Tenera
- Athinolia
- Ayvalık
- Biancolilla
- Blanqueta
- Bosana
- Bouteillan
- Buža
- Carolea
- Casaliva
- Castelvetrano
- Cellina di Nardò
- Cerasuola
- Cerignola
- Changlot Real
- Chemlal de Kabylie
- Chemlali
- Chetoui
- Cobrançosa
- Coquillo
- Coratina
- Cornicabra
- Domat
- Dritta
- Empeltre
- Farga
- Frantoio
- Gaeta
- Galega
- Gemlik
- Gordal
- Grossane
- Halkidiki
- Hojiblanca
- Istrska Belica
- Itrana
- Kalamata
- Kalinjot
- Kolovi
- Konservolia (Amfissa)
- Koroneiki
- Leccino
- Lechín de Sevilla
- Lucques
- Madural
- Manzanilla Cacereña
- Manzanilla
- Maurino
- Megaritiki
- Memecik
- Mission
- Moraiolo
- Morisca
- Niçoise (Cailletier)
- Nocellara del Belice
- Nocellara Etnea
- Nostrana di Brisighella
- Nyons (Tanche)
- Oblica
- Ogliarola Barese
- Pendolino
- Peranzana
- Picholine Marocaine (Beldi)
- Picholine
- Picual
- Picudo
- Rosciola
- Royal de Cazorla
- Salonenque
- Sevillano
- Taggiasca
- Tanche
- Throuba Thassos
- Toffahi
- Tonda Iblea
- Tsounati
- Verdeal Transmontana
- Verdial
- Villalonga
- Žutica
From the archive
Fresno, CA: Summer Harvest Festival June 30 at Farm Market
California’s Central Valley quietly became a serious olive-oil region — and its university farms, festivals and strict quality seal are…
Personal use of olive oil…
Beyond the kitchen, olive oil has a long life as a skin and hair emollient. A calm, honest look at…
The miracle ingredient in an olive being produced
Oleuropein is the bitter compound behind olive-leaf extract and much of the olive's reputation. Here is what it actually is,…
Olive oil producers scoop three international golds
New Zealand is a tiny, young olive-oil country punching above its weight in the glass — here is why its…
All about olives
By FÜSUN ATALAY, More than just a cocktail garnish, these tangy, meaty little fruit are good and good for you.…
Braised baby fennel with grapefruit, orange, olives and lemon dressing
Braised baby fennel with orange, ruby grapefruit and small black olives — a bright, bittersweet winter salad built on a…