Manzanillas are the most popular Spanish olives, and these are the highest quality available. Handpicked in Andalusia, pitted, and packed in an artisanal quality brine, the olives are naturally fermented and cured Sevillian style. The name manzanilla, meaning “little apple” in Spanish, comes from the olives shape. While you’ll find a variety of table olives served throughout Spain, this variety is the most ubiquitous, thanks in part to the high volume taken from each tree, and in part to the crisp, nutty flavor.

Also known as queen olives or colossal olives, these are larger than manzanillas. Loved for its fleshy pulp and large size, it’s no wonder that Gordal means “the fat one.” Also referred to as “the beauty of Spain,” this green olive, characterized by its oval and slightly asymmetric shape, is one of the world’s best-known olives. With its low oil content, the Gordal is never used in olive oil production. Instead, it’s commonly served as a table olive, as most people find its fleshy texture and delicate flavour irresistible!

The name comes from the whitish (blanca) underside of the leaves, which gives the tree a silvery appearance from a distance. You may remember seeing this attractive tree if your travels found you east of Sevilla, south of Córdoba and across the north of Málaga. The fruit is usually large, plump and almost perfectly spherical. Hojiblanca is served as a black table olive because of the firm texture of its flesh.

Hojiblanca has a tremendous range of flavors, but the most characteristic one is sweetness when first tasted, followed by a slightly bitter almond aftertaste.