Species: Olea europaea; Family: Oleaceae
Also known as Cerignola or Cerignola di Rioja
Bella di Cerignola is a large meaty olive cultivar from Cerignola, Italy. It has a very mild, fruity and buttery flavour and is available in green, black or red colours. The red olives are dyed red, and are specifically used for garnish. (delallo.com)
Bella di Cerignola has a Protected Designation of Origin (D.O.P.) and can only be grown in the specific region of Foggia in Puglia, Southern Italy. (delallo.com).
Almost all Cerignola Olives are sold with the pits in, which helps them to maintain a firm texture in their brine. (igourmet.com).
How to Serve Bella di Cirignola Olives
You can either serve the olives with their pits or use a cherry pitter to remove the centre stone. They are perfect for antipasto or appetizer plates.
Before serving the olives you should rinse them to remove excess salt, then toss them in olive oil and serve them plain. You can also mix the olive oil with chopped herbs and allow the olives to marinate, for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Pitted olives can be filled them with various fillings for example cheese, cubes of ham or salami, sun-dried tomatoes, cream cheese or other soft cheese, almonds, dates (I leave it to your imagination).
The black olives are best paired with smoked cheeses and the green ones are best paired with hard cheeses like Pecorino Romano or creamy cheeses like mozzarella or cured meats especially salami.
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