Petales de Tapenade
Few things taste more of the Provençal sun than tapenade: olives, capers and anchovy pounded to a dark, savoury paste. It is simple peasant food turned delicacy — and once you know how it should be made, the industrial jars never fool you again.
Tapenade is one of the great gifts of Provençal cooking: a thick, glossy, near-black paste of pounded olives that carries the whole flavour of the south of France on a piece of bread. It began as humble country food and became a delicacy without ever losing its rustic soul. Innovative producers now turn it into all sorts of things — crisp little tapenade biscuits, spreads, dips — but the heart of it is unchanged, and knowing that heart is the key to buying and making it well.
What tapenade actually is
The name is the first clue, and a surprising one: tapeno is Provençal for the caper, so tapenade is, strictly, ‘caper paste’ — even though olives make up most of the bulk. The classic recipe pounds together cured olives, capers, anchovy, garlic, olive oil and often a splash of brandy or lemon, traditionally in a mortar (the French for which, pilée au mortier, is a mark of the real thing). That anchovy and caper backbone is what separates true tapenade from a plain olive purée: it is salty, savoury and complex, not just mashed olives.
Black, green, and the honest versions
There are two classic tapenades and they are quite different animals. Black tapenade, from ripe black olives, is deep, rich and mellow — the one most people picture. Green tapenade, from green olives, is brighter, sharper and more herbaceous. Both can be made with or without anchovy: an anchovy-free version, often built on Provençal green olives, is a lovely thing and lets vegetarians in on the pleasure. What matters is that the olives are real cured olives and the seasonings honest — not a beige paste bulked out with cheap oil and flavourings.
Buying and making a good one
Here is where a little knowledge saves you. A good tapenade has a coarse, hand-pounded texture and a short, real ingredient list — olives, capers, anchovy, oil, garlic. Be wary of jars that are suspiciously cheap, oddly smooth, or padded out with vegetable oil, sugar and flavourings standing in for the costly olives and anchovy. Better still, make your own: pound or briefly blitz good stoned olives with capers, a little garlic, anchovy if you like, and enough olive oil to bind, keeping it coarse. Taste before adding salt — the olives, capers and anchovy have already brought plenty. It keeps for days under a film of oil in the fridge.
| Black tapenade | Green tapenade | |
|---|---|---|
| Olives | Ripe black olives | Green olives |
| Character | Deep, rich, mellow | Bright, sharp, herbaceous |
| Best with | Grilled bread, lamb, eggs | Fish, crudités, fresh cheese |
| Anchovy | Classic, but optional | Often left out for a lighter paste |
| Watch for | Cheap oil bulking it out | Over-smooth, over-salted versions |
Tapenade, plainly
- It is caper paste by name — capers and anchovy, not just olives, make it tapenade.
- Choose black for depth, green for brightness — two genuinely different pastes.
- Look for a coarse texture and a short ingredient list; distrust cheap, over-smooth jars.
- An anchovy-free green tapenade is a fine vegetarian option.
- Make your own and taste before salting — the olives have seasoned it already.
Tapenade: common questions
What is tapenade made of?
Cured olives, capers, anchovy, garlic and olive oil pounded to a paste, often with a little lemon or brandy. Black or green olives give two different styles.
Why is it called tapenade if it’s mostly olives?
Because tapeno is Provençal for caper. The capers and anchovy define the flavour, so the paste is named for them even though olives make up most of the volume.
What is the difference between black and green tapenade?
Black tapenade, from ripe olives, is deep and mellow; green tapenade, from green olives, is brighter, sharper and more herbaceous. Both can be made with or without anchovy.
Can tapenade be made without anchovy?
Yes. An anchovy-free tapenade, often green, is common and delicious, and lets vegetarians enjoy it. The olives, capers and garlic carry plenty of flavour.
How do I spot a poor tapenade?
Suspiciously cheap, oddly smooth, or padded with vegetable oil, sugar and flavourings instead of real olives and anchovy. Good tapenade is coarse with a short, honest ingredient list.
Two things tell you a tapenade is the real Provençal article. First, the name is a clue most people miss : tapeno means caper, so it is capers and anchovy — not just olives — that make it tapenade rather than plain olive mush. Second, texture and honesty : a good one is coarse and hand-pounded with a short ingredient list. Be wary of the cheap, over-smooth jars bulked out with vegetable oil and flavourings. Better still, pound your own and taste before you salt — the olives got there first.
Drawn from traditional Provençal tapenade practice; olives, capers and anchovy pounded in the classic style.