Stuffed Olives: Pimento, Almond, Anchovy and More
Pit a firm green olive and you’ve made room for something good. From the classic pimento to almonds and anchovy, here’s the world of the stuffed olive.
The classics
The original is the pimento-stuffed Spanish Manzanilla — a sweet red pepper tucked into a green olive, once hand-cut, now usually a pepper paste piped in by machine. Beyond it: almond (nutty crunch against briny olive), anchovy (salt on salt, glorious), garlic, citrus peel, blue cheese and even chilli. The big, meaty Gordal is a favourite for the chunkier fillings.
Why it works
A good stuffing plays against the olive, not over it: salt, fat, acid or crunch to balance the brine and bitterness. It’s a centuries-old bit of Spanish ingenuity that turned a humble cured olive into a one-bite snack — the original tapas. The best are stuffed with the real thing, not just paste; read the jar.
You don’t need a factory. Buy good pitted green olives and stuff them yourself with slivers of almond, anchovy, sun-dried tomato or feta, then dress with olive oil, lemon zest and herbs. It’s the easiest impressive thing you can put on a table — and infinitely better than the jar.
Part of the olives101 guide to table olives.