Olive trees and olives have always played an important role in Greece. That wonderful fruit has even been considered sacred, and it definitely is part of the Greek dining experience. Eat them as snack or side food with a drink, marinated, in salads, casseroles or even on pizza.

The olive harvest begins in the autumn, in October and continues depending on the region from two months up to March. Green olives are picked first and mature darker olives later. The most well-known and valued dark olives come from Kalamata region. They are tapered in shape and purple in colour.