Yes, Peru — olives grow far beyond the Mediterranean, and harvest in our spring.
Olive growing reached South America centuries ago, and today Peru — especially the Tacna region in the south — is a notable producer. Its signature is the Alfonso, known locally as the Botija: a large, deep-purple, wine-cured table olive, soft and fruity.
Because the Southern Hemisphere harvests in our spring, a Peruvian or Chilean olive can be the freshest on a Northern shelf out of season. The catch, as ever, is the label: the Botija looks so like a Greek Kalamata that it is frequently sold as one — see the great olive name swap. The Peruvian olives we’ve covered so far are below.