Description
The Olives Noires de la Vallée des Baux-de-Provence PDO are black olives from Grossane type.
Production Area
The production and transformation area of Olives Noires de la Vallée des Baux-de-Provence PDO covers the following 16 municipal areas: Arles, Aureille, (Les) Baux-de-Provence, Eygalières, Eyguières, Fontvieille, Lamanon, Maussane-les-Alpilles, Mouriès, Orgon, Paradou, Saint-Étiennedu-Grès, Saint-Martin-de-Crau, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Sénas and Tarascon, all located in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône, in the region of Provence-Alpes-Azur.
Production Method
There are two methods: in the first, the olives are picked up and powdered with table salt, whilst in the second, pricked or not, they are immersed into salt brine, whose density must be between 1.045 and 1.060, and soaked for maximum three months.
Appearance and Flavour
Olives Noires de la Vallée des Baux-de-Provence PDO features ripe apple and tomato conserve notes of taste. It is a fruit which has fully ripened and is characterised by a big shape with a large, truncated and short base, with non-adherent stone and abundant and flavourful flesh.
History
The fame of the Olives Noires de la Vallée des Bauxde-Provence PDO is closely linked to the tradition of olive growing in the Vallée des Baux de Provence, where the olive growing sector has always played an important role. The administrative district of Mouriès, in the heart of the production area, with 75,000 trees, is the land with the highest number of olive trees in France. Notwithstanding urbanisation, which brought to abandon towns, olive tree forests still exist on the slopes of the hills and offer a rich variety.
Gastronomy
Olives Noires de la Vallée des Baux-de-Provence PDO must be conserved in their original salt brine, protected from light and heat sources. Generally, the product is eaten alone or used to season some warm and cold dishes. Olives Noires de la Vallée des Baux-de-Provence PDO are used as aperitif, natural or accompanied by fresh goat's or sheep's cheese.
Marketing
The product is sold as Olives Noires de la Vallée des Baux-de-Provence PDO. It is marketed in glass pots of different sizes. Generally the product is marketed from September to January, immediately after picking up.
Distinctive Features
The peculiar organoleptic features and the fame of Olives Noires de la Vallée des Baux-de-Provence PDO are the result of different elements, amongst which the geological and climatic characteristics of the production area, the existence of ancient olive trees which are well-standing in the geographic context and the elaborated cultural practises which have been developed over time by farmers.
