Frantoio di Sant'Agata d'Oneglia - Black Olive Tapenade 180g jar

Since 1827 the Mela family has made its home in Sant’Agata d’Oneglia, a small Ligurian village in the hills of Imperia, where it runs a family-owned mill. Seven generations have built the business around the Taggiasca olive, and today Cristiana and Serena Mela help lead it. Beyond extra virgin olive oil, the Frantoio makes pesto, patés, creams, and sauces that it describes as 100 percent natural, with no artificial colors or preservatives.

Taggiasca olives, introduced to Liguria by Benedictine monks in the 1600s, are small and prized for their delicate character. The olives for this tapenade are grown on the Ligurian coast between 200 and 500 meters above sea level and sorted by hand. Pitted black olives are blended with extra virgin olive oil from the family’s own mill into a spreadable tapenade.

This tapenade has the delicate, rounded flavor of Taggiasca olives, with a gentle bitterness and the fruitiness of extra virgin olive oil. It is deeply savory yet surprisingly mild, with a rich, velvety texture that spreads easily and lets the Ligurian olives remain the star.