It is the fruit of the olive tree. The plant comes from Greece and Asia Minor, where they can still be found in forests of wild olive trees or " wild olive ", which does not have the characteristic itself regulate alignment of cultivated plants. The olives are consumed both ground ( as oil) or in fresh passing first through a maceration process that eliminates the bitter taste are due to a glucoside known as oleuropein. In Spain they are very popular as an appetizer marinated olives taken.
- Black : obtained from ripe olives, may, according the production area and the time of collection, reddish black, violet black , deep violet , greenish black or dark brown .