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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 15 NOVEMBER 2015 Food 37 Fine food of the week Olives The small fruit that gives us olive oil, the lowly olive is a great source of f la- vour in Mediterranean cooking. How- ever the different varieties make for dif- ferent f lavours. Out of the hundreds of different varie- ties of olive tree some are very similar, with only DNA fingerprinting separat- ing the type of olive. However some oth- ers differ tremendously, with fruit vary- ing in size, oil content, taste, chemical characteristics and ripening time among others. When it comes to differences in olives, most people can only say that some are green while others are black. The only difference between a green and a black olive, however is the ripeness of the fruit, where a green olive is actually an unripened fruit. Green olives are usually pitted and often stuffed with various fillings in- cluding pimentos, almonds, anchovies, jalapenos, onions or capers, while black olives are more often sold with their pit, though pitted varieties are also avail- able. Cultivated for over 6,000 years the olive is a mark of the Mediterranean where it typically grows in climates of relatively mild winters and hot dry summers. Straight from the tree the olive is bitter and inedible and requires curing, usual- ly in lye brine or salt. The taste of olives is affected not only by their variety but by ripeness and curing time. Heat also causes the olive to go bitter so they are best added to hot dishes at the end of cooking. Olive varieties Cerignola – An enormous olive sold ei- ther green or black. When green it has a mild and vegetal f lavour though when it turns black the f lesh is softer and sweet- er and is much easier to pit. Gaeta – A small brownish black olive that can be hard to pit but the f lavour, which is reminiscent of nuts, is worth the effort. Kalamata – A plump, purplish black olive that grows in Greece. It is a good option for recipes that include black ol- ives. Manzanilla – This Spanish olive is most available at supermarkets. It is gen- erally pitted and stuffed with pimentos or garlic. They are often used in marti- nis. Moroccan oil-cured – These shriv- elled black olives are somewhat bitter and best used in cooking rather than for snacking. Nicose – A small, purplish brown olive that is grown in southern France. They are chew y and f lavourful and like the Gaeta difficult to pit. Sicilian green – These oversized green olives have a dense, somewhat tart f lesh. Recipe of the week Crispy, fried olives The mark of the Mediterranean Ingredients • 1 cup canola oil • 10 large or colossal green pitted ol- ives • 10 large or colossal black pitted olives • ¾ cup plain flour • ½tspgarlicpowder • 1 tsp chili powder • 2 beaten eggs • ¾ cup breadcrumbs • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper Method 1. Heat canola oil to 180°C. (Drop a very small piece of bread crumb into the oil, if it starts to sizzle the oil is hot enough.) 2. Drain the olives. 3. Mix flour, garlic powder and chili powder together and place in a shal- low dish. 4. Pour eggs into another dish, and breadcrumbs with ground black pep- per into a third. 5. Roll the olives in the flour, then roll them in the beaten egg and finally roll them in the breadcrumbs. 6. Set on a plate to give the breading a chance to dry and form a crust while the oil heats. 7. When oil is hot, put half the olives into it, being careful not to drop them and splatter hot oil. 8. Fry until golden brown, then remove and drain on paper towels. Be sure to tip the oil out of the centre of the ol- ive. The only difference between a green and a black olive is the ripeness of the fruit, where a green olive is actually an unripened fruit