The green, verde partida and black olives from Mallorca are protected by a designation of origin recognizing the culinary value of this product. The olives are inseparable and since ancient times associated with the diet of the Mallorquines.
One of the most common starters on Mallorca is a small plate with a good handful of olives trencades (split olives) - a wonderful way to stimulate the appetite with a basic product of the Mediterranean diet, which in Mallorca has a protected designation of origin for its autochthonous variety.
This international recognition came in 2014, and protects three variants: the green, the green split and the natural black olive. These are edible olives, which are partially preserved in brine. The green olives are additionally enriched with fennel and chili to give a strong and aromatic flavor. The black natural olive is prepared with another product, which also has a protected designation of origin: olive oil from Mallorca.
The cultivation takes mostly place in the Serra de Tramuntana. Here are the centuries-old olive trees that are inseparably linked to the landscape - a world heritage site. Many of these trees stand on hand-built stone terraces to exploit the unevenness of an impassable terrain. The olives are collected by hand which makes it possible to pick only the best.
It is one of the most traditional cultures on the island; Olives existed already in pre-Roman times. Between the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century the export of the olives to Mallorca was flourishing.
Today the olives continue to be a popular starter, and also the indissoluble ingredient of every good pa amb oli (bread with olive oil) or the sopas mallorquinas. And there are not a few, especially in the villages that make their own olives, with their own ingredients, which they cherish as a secret.
