Calories in Olives, green, Manzanilla, stuffed with pimiento

What makes olives so powerful?

The Manzanilla olive, originating in Spain, is the quintessential green cocktail olive, prized for its crisp texture and slightly smoky, nutty flavor. Unlike black olives, green olives are harvested before they fully ripen, which accounts for their firm bite and more astringent profile. The practice of stuffing them with pimiento—a large, sweet, red cherry pepper—began as a practical solution to a culinary problem. Removing the pit leaves a cavity, and the pimiento was inserted to fill the void while providing a striking visual contrast. However, the pairing is also chemically harmonious: the natural sweetness of the red pepper balances the sharp, salty lactic acid brine used to cure the olives. While early commercial production required workers to hand-stuff each olive, modern techniques often use a paste made from pureed pimientos and a gelling agent like sodium alginate, which is extruded and cut into uniform pieces before being mechanically inserted. This ensures the stuffing remains intact and doesn't discolor in the jar. The combination of the olive's monounsaturated fats and the pepper's vitamin C creates a surprisingly nutrient-dense bite.