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Best North Aegean Olives Types
Adramytiani is a type of olive variety that originates from the region around Adramyttion (modern-day Edremit) in western Türkiye, near the Aegean coast. This olive variety is cultivated both in Türkiye and on some of the Greek islands, particularly Lesbos, where it is well known for producing high-quality olive oil.
The Adramytiani olive is prized for its rich oil content and the oil’s smooth, slightly fruity flavor, making it popular in both cooking and as a finishing oil. On the island of Lesbos, it is commonly used in local cuisine and contributes to the island’s reputation for producing excellent olive oil.
The Greek island of Chios has a wonderful Mediterranean climate and fertile soil that enables the cultivation of many high-quality products. Among the most interesting products on the island are Throumpa Chiou table olives. Nets are placed under these olive trees to catch the olives as they fall naturally from the tree when they reach their full ripeness, and they are gathered every three to five days.
They lose their bitterness on the tree thanks to the fungus Phoma oleae, so no further treatment is necessary. These wrinkled black olives are dried naturally without the use of added heat. Throumpa Chiou can be bought all over the island, and they are becoming popular even beyond Greece's borders because of their pleasantly sweet taste.
Kolovi olives, also known as Kolovy or Kolion, are a traditional Greek olive variety primarily grown on the island of Lesbos in the northern Aegean Sea. These olives are known for their distinctive flavor and high oil content, making them highly prized for both table olives and olive oil production.
Kolovi olives are typically small to medium in size with a firm texture. When cured and prepared as table olives, they often exhibit a rich, slightly nutty flavor with a hint of bitterness, which is characteristic of many Greek olive varieties. The curing process for these olives can involve brining, dry curing, or oil curing, each method bringing out different aspects of the olive's natural flavors.
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