Olives are the star appetizer in many countries, and we can find them in many different types. They are an excellent source of monounsaturated fatty acids, fiber, minerals, and vitamins. It is of special interest to know what the differences are between black olives and green olives. There are those who believe that they are different varieties, but the truth is that they are not.

According to professionals in nutrition, the olive harvest takes place between the end of November and the months of February and March in some European countries. Green olives are picked while still immature and then prepared for consumption by treating them with an alkaline solution and keeping them in brine. Meanwhile, black olives are those that are picked when they are fully ripe.

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Due to their longer permanence on the tree, black olives have a higher nutritional value than green olives. Both have a very high-fat content, although 70% of the fat is good. The fat content is also different: that of green olives is 16.7 and that of black olives is 29.8. Therefore, the caloric value of the green ones is lower than that of the black ones: the former provides 167 kilocalories and the latter 299 kilocalories.

Professionals from the society of dietetics and food sciences assure us that there are no olives that are healthier than others, although their nutritional composition is different. Therefore, when choosing one or the other, it is best to be guided solely and exclusively by personal tastes.

It is true that black olives provide more calories than green olives, so nutritionists recommend eating green ones in greater quantity. Daily consumption should be moderate, approximately seven olives, within a healthy and balanced eating plan.

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Benefits Of Olives For Health

Considering that olives are rich in good fats, they help reduce bad cholesterol levels. They take care of the cardiovascular system and regulate blood pressure.

If olives are well known for something, it is for their high iron content, so they are great allies against anemia. Thanks to being a great source of dietary fiber, they regulate intestinal transit and whet the appetite.

And finally, it should be noted that they are very good for memory. Some studies indicate that taking olives daily improves memory by up to 25%.

Curiosities Of Olives That You Maybe Did Not Know

Even if you like them and eat them all the time, you will be surprised to discover some really striking curiosities about olives that you probably didn't know about. This food is more than 6,000 years old and is one of the foods that provide the most health benefits, as mentioned before.

In ancient times, olives were dressed with vinegar and honey. This bittersweet mixture was common among the people of the Mediterranean.

Each olive has only 9 calories on average and a high-fat content, approximately 20%. However, a large part of its fats is beneficial, such as Omega 3 or Omega 6.

Olives are not eaten directly from the tree. They are very bitter and that is why they are left in brine for a certain time.

They can be seasoned with garlic or different aromatic plants. In some cases, they are left to cure for a year so that they take on their characteristic flavor. These varieties are considered gourmet.

Olives have vitamin E and are very beneficial for babies. It is recommended to add 2 or 3 olives to the diet from six months of age.

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There are about 90 varieties of stuffed olives. They can be filled with almost all kinds of ingredients, but the most famous are those with anchovies or with different types of cheese inside. And there are those that are filled with garlic, onion, pickles, peppers, etc.

The skin of olives is excellent for treating burns due to its high content of vitamin E. It is currently used in the treatment of people with severe burns, as it contributes to faster tissue regeneration.

Olives have different flavors, depending on the variety they correspond to. And not all are suitable for table consumption. Some of them are used exclusively to obtain olive oil, one of the essential products of Mediterranean cuisine.

Olives have four basic flavors: sweet, bitter, salty, and acid. This property allows the olive to combine with a wide variety of dishes, from cooked dishes such as pizzas to salads.

Olive Bread: Recipe

The olive bread recipe is of Greek origin. In this Mediterranean country, the tradition of incorporating this ingredient in each meal is almost a national symbol, the Greek salad is an example of this. With this olive bread, you will have the perfect base for any snack, thanks to this ingredient, a traditional bread will take on a new life to cover itself with glory. Feeling this freshly prepared food with that special aroma and a very smooth texture can be a true culinary revelation. If you want to dare to prepare your own olive bread, take note of this simple recipe, it is worth trying.

Olive Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

450 gr of strong flour
260ml lukewarm water
1 tablespoon of oregano
2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 gr of baker's yeast
125 gr of pitted black or green olives
1 tablespoon of salt

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How to prepare olive bread?


    1. Preparing a homemade olive bread like this is very simple. We start by diluting the bakery flour with warm water. This step is very important, the water must be lukewarm, but we must be very careful if we exceed the temperature it can affect the properties of the yeast.

    2. Put the flour in a bowl with a hole in the middle, volcano type. At that point, we put the water with the yeast. We begin to mix vigorously, when these ingredients are well integrated, we put the two tablespoons of oil.

    3. With the arrival of the oil, the dough will take on a very soft texture and will come off your hands. It will be time to give a special touch to this bread.

    4. The olives must be boneless, we will chop them into slices of the same size and add them to the dough. We mix well so that in each bite we can savor them. The type of olive used in this recipe depends on the taste of the consumer, the black ones are the traditional ones, although the green ones are not bad at all. If you want to add another ingredient, like cheese or nuts, it would also be a good option.

    5. It is important that the olives are dry, so that they integrate better, otherwise we flour them previously. Let the dough rest for an hour, wrapped in plastic wrap.

    6. We work the dough after this time giving it the shape of bread, letting it rest, before painting the bread on top with a little olive oil and putting some sesame seeds.

    7. This bread will be baked at 190º for 40 minutes, it will be perfect and combine perfectly with everything your culinary imagination can create.

Prepare it at home and then let me know if you liked it!



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