Kalamon Table Olive

Greek Table Olives Tagari SA

The Kalamon nychat or Kalamata olive is an excellent variety of table olive. It is cultivated mainly in the prefectures of Messinia, Laconia, Aitoloakarnania, Fthiotida, Corinthia, Argolis and Ilia. It is a medium fruit variety of high productivity with the weight of the fruit ranging from 3 to 6 g with a cylindrical shape with a bend and one sided, with the skin of the fruit being thin and elastic which acquires a deep black color at the stage of full maturity, which makes it ideal variety for the production of naturally black olives. The harvest is done by hand at the stage of full maturity during the period November – December.

After harvesting, the olive fruit is transported to the processing units where quality sorting, size sorting and washing with water are carried out to remove foreign matter. Finally, it is soaked in brine with 8-10% salt (sea) where it is fermented by mixed flora. The process is completed within 6 – 9 months. After de-pickling, the olives are placed in a variety of containers: glass jars, plastic, PET or tin cans in a brine solution with sea salt, wine vinegar, water and a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil on top.

The final product, Kalamon olives have: a homogeneous but varying chocolate to dark brown-violet color. The olives are firm and crunchy with a subtle fruity flavor that is salty, slightly bitter and vinegary. They are eaten as they are as a meze - appetizer, in salads and especially in the Greek village salad, they accompany and are used in many recipes.