Parco Archeologico Storico Naturale delle Chiese Rupestri del Materano

Big-size olives, fleshy and black, harvested when they are ripe and dried for one week on wooden shelves. The olives are scalded into boiling water for a few minutes to make them less bitter, then they are drained, salted, and flavored with oregano and wild fennel. After a few days, they are dried at a moderate temperature with two subsequent processes in dry houses that have replaced the traditional wooden ovens.
At table, they are ideal with cold cuts and mature pecorino cheese. They are also very good alone, flavored with extra-virgin olive oil, pieces of fresh garlic, and grated orange and lemon peel.