# Green or black olives? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 19, 2011, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-or-black-olives/582414 "2011-05-19T04:47:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-or-black-olives/582414/1 "2011-05-19T04:47:17Z")
Question is in the poll. It doesn’t get much simpler than this. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-or-black-olives/582414/2 "2011-05-19T05:00:27Z")
They’re all good. I voted that I like them both equally, although I probably lean slightly towards green olives these days (whereas a few years ago I had a slight preference for black.) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-or-black-olives/582414/3 "2011-05-19T05:01:51Z")
Both: Black ones on pizza, salads, and casseroles, and green ones for eating out of a jar. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-or-black-olives/582414/4 "2011-05-19T05:08:54Z")
It depends, really. Sometimes black olives are awful and sometimes they’re divine. Green olives have much less variance in quality. Also, black olives have a sort of all-around usefulness, but green olives are great in specialized roles (ex. stuffed in celery with cream cheese). ---
**Author:** ![Troubles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Troubles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troubles)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-or-black-olives/582414/5 "2011-05-19T05:19:23Z")
Neither. Olives are the devil! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-or-black-olives/582414/6 "2011-05-19T05:21:14Z")
My favorites are oil cured olives. But they’re black so that’s what I voted for. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-or-black-olives/582414/7 "2011-05-19T05:22:15Z")
I like black olives because they’re packed in brine. I don’t like green because they’re packed in vinegar. Wasn’t there a column about this? Yup [here it is](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2885/why-is-it-that-green-olives-come-in-glass-jars-but-black-olives-come-in-cans). It says green aren’t packed in vinegar, but they always taste that way to me. I think its a childhood impression I’ve never retested. I can’t think of the last time I tried eating a green olive. ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-or-black-olives/582414/8 "2011-05-19T05:33:38Z")
I like the ones that you get in the Greek mixes–they’re kind of a medium purplish-brown color, and egg-shaped. I think they might actually be black olives, but cured differently, or something. Those are my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-or-black-olives/582414/9 "2011-05-19T06:02:09Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > They’re all good. I voted that I like them both equally, although I probably lean slightly towards green olives these days (whereas a few years ago I had a slight preference for black.) Same here, my preference seems to swing back and forth. Right now green is ahead because the local Italian market has these amazing light green olives that I love but I can only buy every so often or I’d gorge myself on them. > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Both: Black ones on pizza, salads, and casseroles, and green ones for eating out of a jar. Same here. Also, black for tacos, nachos and sandwiches. I’d probably eat green on sandwiches, too, but all they every have at the sandwich places is the black. I do like to make green olive and cream cheese sandwiches and they just aren’t the same with black olives. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-or-black-olives/582414/10 "2011-05-19T06:15:45Z")
I love black olives, especially in salads. Green olives are among the foods that I occasionally think I like, so I buy them. But as soon as I start eating them, I am reminded of how much I hate them. Foods like anchovies, capers and circus peanuts. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-or-black-olives/582414/11 "2011-05-19T06:21:03Z")
> [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](#): > > Green olives have much less variance in quality. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-or-black-olives/582414/12 "2011-05-19T09:14:05Z")
I think this will be an interesting poll. I personally have never found a green olive I like, but I adore black olives, to the point where I’ve been “jonesing” for them lately. I hate that they aren’t available at my local Subway, like they were at the Blimpie’s in college. EDIT: Also hate that they aren’t on Taco Bell’s Mexican pizza anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-or-black-olives/582414/13 "2011-05-19T10:56:49Z")
> [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](#): > > Green olives have much less variance in quality. Yep. Cheap jarred grocery-store green olives are still edible. Canned black olives are revolting. Fancy green olives are great. Fancy black olives are freakin’ amazing. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-or-black-olives/582414/14 "2011-05-19T11:40:15Z")
> [@Helena](#): > > I like the ones that you get in the Greek mixes–they’re kind of a medium purplish-brown color, and egg-shaped. I think they might actually be black olives, but cured differently, or something. Those are my favorite. Probably Kalamata olives. Also my favorite. I didn’t answer the poll because I suspect that by “black olives” the OP meant California black olives, also sometimes called Black Pearls. You find them on pizza and on 7-Layer Mexican dip. Hate that kind, but love many other kinds of olive, black, green and in between. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-or-black-olives/582414/15 "2011-05-19T12:00:22Z")
I love any kind of olive that hasn’t been brined to hell and back. Sadly for me, brined to hell and back seems to the default state for olives around here. It’s probably just as well, really; when we were in Spain and were surrounded by non-salty olives, I ate my own body weight in them at every opportunity and that _can’t_ be good for you on a regular basis. ---
**Author:** ![JayRx1981](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/71e660/32.png) [@JayRx1981](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JayRx1981)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-or-black-olives/582414/16 "2011-05-19T12:03:41Z")
I chose Like Black, Don’t like Green. I like black olives on pizza, but I LOVE Kalamata olives (which I lump in with black olives, even though they’re more brownish in color). I have yet to taste a green olive I’ve liked though. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-or-black-olives/582414/17 "2011-05-19T12:48:13Z")
Love both, but chose a slight edge with green. I like them straight from the jar, and the green olives stuffed with almonds… OMG heaven! And there is a Bisquick recipe where you make a dough with Bisquick, it has beer & Parmesan cheese in it, and you wrap it around an olive & bake, one of my favorite snacks, ever! Black olives I like as a componant- on pizza, tacos, in salad, etc. ---
**Author:** ![phantom\_lamb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@phantom\_lamb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phantom_lamb)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-or-black-olives/582414/18 "2011-05-19T13:01:04Z")
I love both, way too much. Give me any olives and I’ll put them in any dish. /olive crazy. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-or-black-olives/582414/19 "2011-05-19T13:06:44Z")
I have to go with **Troubles** on this. If I were an ancient Greek, Athena would have struck me down for blasphemy, because her gift to Athens sucks. Can’t stand 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-or-black-olives/582414/20 "2011-05-19T21:48:30Z")
Normally my favourite are the green olives from Puglia, really fresh and meaty. But the Italian deli in our village produces these baked black olives which are really something else. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-or-black-olives/582414.md?page=2)