Description
The Olive de Nice PDO is a table olive or olive paste, obtained from the Cailletier variety. However, it is allowed to plant varieties of olive trees such as Arabanier, Blanquetier, Blavet, Nostral and Ribeyrou, provided they are spaced out in a coordinated way and do not exceed the 5% of the trees present.
Production Area
The production area of Olive de Nice PDO includes various municipal areas of the Alpes-Maritimes department in the region of Provence-Alpes-Azur.
Production Method
Each olive tree requires a suitable surface of 24 sq. m. and must be pruned once every two years. The harvest carried out manually or mechanically, must start when at least 50% of the olives are wine-coloured. The olives must be carefully transported in ventilated containers to be afterwards weighted, selected, washed and treated according to the local customs; finally they are preserved in pickle. Table olives are preserved in pickle for at least three months, whereas for the olive paste, the fruits must be preserved in pickle for a period of minimum six months before they are processed in order to remove the bitter taste of the fruit and make it very sweet. The olive paste is obtained by drying and desalting the fruits which are centrifuged to remove the olive pit. Finally, the paste obtained is homogenized with the addition of olive oil.
Appearance and Flavour
The Olive de Nice PDO colour ranges from a yellowish-green to brown or from wine to violet-black. The fruits have a light weight and have hard flesh which can be easily separated from the olive pit. They taste fruity, slightly bitter and not acid. Whereas, the olive paste has a very characteristic wine colour with an oily and fine consistency and aroma which reminds dry fruit.
History
The Olive de Nice PDO is obtained in a territory where olive woods have been an integral part of the landscape for more than two thousand years. Olive trees spread first on the seaside and coast hills, then following successive Phoenician, Greek and Roman invasions, olive cultivation developed over the centuries in the inland. Because of its oil, cultivation of the olive tree has always been essential for the population of the County of Nice and the Côte d'Azur. Olive growing declined sharply in Alpes-Maritimes after the Second World War and the disastrous extremely cold periods in 1929 and 1956. For more than 25 years, driven by the activities of the professional organisations, olive growing has begun to develop again.
Gastronomy
The Olive de Nice PDO in pickle as well as in paste is preserved in a refrigerator in its packaging. Once the packaging is opened, it is recommended to check that the paste is uniformly covered by a layer of oil which preserves the characteristics. Table olives are ideal for appetizers, combined with pork salted meat; it is suggested to spread the paste on croutons at the beginning of dinner. Olives can be used in any case as a side-dish of meat or in salads; the paste is used to flavour sauces.
Marketing
The product is sold as Olive de Nice PDO in the following variants: Table olives and Olive paste. It is marketed in several types of packaging, different in shape and weight: the paste comes in jars of different weight, and table olives in bags and cans.
Distinctive Features
Factors such as rough hilly ground where olive trees are cultivated, the presence of flat land, surfaces with terracing and Mediterranean climate, influenced by mountains, with average temperatures, substantial precipitations and good exposure to sun light, influence on the quality and organoleptic characteristics of the Olive de Nice PDO.
