Photo: Marinated Green Olives Village Market Moustiers Ste Marie Provence France

A large selection of marinated black and green olives, and sun dried tomatoes on display on the tables at the weekly market held in the quaint village of Moustiers Ste Marie in the Provence region of France.

The thought of Olives whether black or green conjures up images in the mind of the Mediterranean regions of the world such as Greece, Italy, France, Spain and Africa - just to name a few. Olive trees are typically grown in the Mediterranean however in recent years they have also been successfully grown in other places around the world such as Argentina, New Zealand, Australia, and Chile. They are also extensively grown inland such as in the province of Jaen in Andalusia, Spain.

Although most of us think of olive oil at the mention of olives, the trees are extensively grown throughout Europe and the Middle East for a variety of other uses such as for selling whole or stuffed marinated olives with delicious fillings, pitted or unpitted. The leaves ... continue below the picture...

... of the olive tree are used in teas for their medicinal properties and the hard wood of the tree has a beautiful grain which can be crafted into a variety of objects. Olives are usually either green or black. They can be found for sale at many a village market throughout Europe including the quaint village of Moustiers Ste Marie in the Provence, France and many others.

The different colours of Olives comes from the different stages of ripeness when harvested, which usually takes place in winter however this varies depending on the location. The green olives are usually firmer and need more processing to make them palatable than the black olives need.

Varieties of Olives on sale at a Market Stall in the village of Moustiers Ste Marie, Alpes de Haute, Provence, France, Europe.