Tremiti olives are picked young, in mid-October, just as they're beginning to mature and turn from green to gold and brown. Usually I'm not a fan of olives picked this early: they're not very ripe and therefore don't have much flavor. Not so with tremiti.

They're bursting with it, a juicy, winey flavor that is utterly captivating. Their texture is like a firm plum, the skin bending then bursting with each bite. Where inexpensive deli counter olives are usually salty and strong, these are delicate and floral. They have a refreshing, not too salty aftertaste—just as I'm finishing this one I'm reaching for another.

Serve them rinsed, coated in a good dose of good olive oil like our Peranzana, spritzed with a twist of lemon and alongside a platter of cured meats.