The 'black leg' of table olives

The olive is an essential part of Mediterranean gastronomy and its culture. Traditionally it is consumed ground in oil or fresh and seasoned, although currently there are other forms such as pâté or jams. Dressing olives is an art that is transmitted from generation to generation and that adapts to the type of olive, since there are 260 varieties in the world.

The DOP Aloreña de Málaga olive is a variety deeply rooted in the interior of the province of Málaga. In addition to being the first table olive to have a protected designation of origin, it has very unique characteristics. Its fruit, very sensitive to shock, requires that it be harvested completely by hand, which adds even more value to it as an artisanal and exclusive product. This fruit collection, which begins in the month of September, is popularly known as the 'greening'. There the hand of the collector is essential, since he must select one by one the olive that has the largest size and best appearance. Furthermore, it only accepts brine (water and salt) in its dressing and never accepts caustic soda, since this would deteriorate the product. Therefore, it is a guarantee for those who avoid unnatural dressings. From the moment the Aloreña olive from Málaga is collected until it reaches the table, it must go through a totally natural and artisanal process that has been done in this area for centuries. After the olive is collected, it is split and put in brine. For the latter, a combination of water and salt is prepared with the egg test (an egg is placed in a container with water and salt is added until the egg floats).

Types of olives with PDO Aloreña de Málaga

Today three types of dressed olives are distinguished according to their organoleptic and physical-chemical characteristics. On the one hand, there is the fresh green Málaga aloreña, that is, the olive that, after having been split, goes to a cool place, where it must remain for at least three days before being packaged. In this way, they keep their flavor and texture intact. They are clearly identified by their light green color, their intense bitter flavor and odors reminiscent of freshly cut grass. On the other hand, there is the traditional Aloreña from Málaga. This olive, after being split, is left for at least 20 days in a space without air conditioning. In this way, the result of this rest is a product that is more mature than the fresh green, with a therefore less intense color and a slightly less bitter flavor. Finally, the cured Aloreña from Málaga, after being split, is left in fermenters for at least three months before packaging. It can be left even longer as long as this does not affect its organoleptic characteristics. The result in this case will be a darker olive, which can even be brown, with much milder flavors, where the dressing ingredients especially stand out.