We are generally talking about olive oil in our daily lives. We use it in salad dressings, for cooking food and even use it as massage oil. But very less attention is paid to the vegetable behind this fruitful oil.

Olives are consumed all over the world and specially in Spain, Italy, Greece and Middle East in various cuisines. It is used over pizza, in sandwiches, in salads, as a topping on hummus etc. Some olives can be eaten straight from the tree, but mostly we get processed olives immersed in a preservative oil to increase the shelf life. This processing also reduces the bitterness of the fruit. Green olives are sometimes sold pitted with carrots stuffed in them.

Olives are available in two colors, green and black. Some start green and turn black when fully ripe; while others stay the same color they are i.e. green or black.