green olives 🫒

origin:

although strongly associated with the mediterranean cuisines from italy and greece, olives actually originate in asia and later spread to iran, syria and palestine before it came to the mediterranean area 6000 years ago. the olive tree is amongst the oldest cultivated trees in the world. a mature tree delivers up to 20 kilograms of olives that can be made into 3-4 liters of oil. in history, olives were used as gifts and a sign of wealth. nowadays they have spread all over the world and are mainly known as a tasty topping on pizzas and pastas or eaten as a snack on their own, accompanied by some cheese and a glass of wine or, as an addition to salads. and not to forget the staple food item that is made out of olives in every household: olive oil.

properties:

types of olives vary and by that their nutritional value. olives in water for example contain much less fat and calories than olives in oil. 10 canned olives are about a portion and contain 115 calories, 6 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of protein, 10 grams of fat and 3 grams of fibre. they further contain a high amount of vitamin e, iron, copper and calcium. 

benefits:

olives have great health benefits. for example their high amount of vitamin e helps to neutralize free radicals in the body and prevent cell damage that could, in the long term, become cancer. vitamin e is also great for healthy skin and protects against damaging sunburn. eating olives also improves your blood sugar, keeps you satisfied, helps you absorb other nutrients better and improve blood circulation.

use:

olives taste salty and therefore go extremely well with other savory foods like cheese, crackers or bread. paired with a glass of wine every now and then they are a healthier afternoon treat then traditional dutch fried foods like bitterballen. when you add olives to tomato, both enhance each others flavor. Therefore they should be combined in mediterranean dishes as often as possible. and if you don’t like a certain type of olive, you can also try a different type as black olives taste completely different from green olives or Kalamata olives. as a last resort and if you really don’t like them, there is always olive oil with some types being almost flavorless and very mild in taste.

looking for more? just come by and visit our healthy fast food restaurants in the city centre of groningen and hamburg. we offer fresh, healthy, and delicious vegan bowls, salads and juices for pickup and delivery!