Chile Forum

I've been meaning to say that I have been able to regularly find jars of Kalamata olives at Unimarc (Sta Maria de Manquehue, Vitacura) and also at Organisk on Luis Pasteur. The organic ones were twice the price and too salty for my taste. The ones at Unimarc is about 2mil per jar and are really nice. They are not Greek though, but from Italy.

I love Kalamata olives, thanks for the post. Will have to try that when back down there. Up here, we buy them from the bins where you can scoop them out. The ones from the jars strike me as "dry" or "shriveled" in comparison. But jarred Kalamatas beats no Kalamatas. We did find a market in Valpo that sells some olives from bins that are pretty, but not exactly, Kalamata-like, fairly cheap too. Our nana/helper has made me a deal for the next visit: I teach her how to cook Mafia-style Italian, she takes me to her preferred vendors in Valpo. Also picked up a well-priced German knife (Sollingen-made, not Chinese with German branding) for her, to sweeten the bribe. Will share when that happens.

John Hyre

Hey John, they're not dry or shrivelled at all, so a very happy find. I would love a bin of kalamatas! We had the same in Sydney. While I have your attention, was it you who lived in Spain? We're heading there for a wedding in August, my first visit and wanted some pointers...

You are looking for Px, he spent some serious time there, especially in Catalonia. I only went as a teenage touist for a few weeks, back in the eighties. Also, I think one of the new posters here (Andres perhaps?) is of Spanish extraction. Oh, the tapas and the cava. And the tapas. I am wallowing in garlic-drenched envy.

Not shriveled? Exxxxxcellent, written in a Mr. Burns tone.

I forget the name of the market in Valpo - in this case, it's the main one, in a huge stone buidling, with doors all about, near the Jumbo (I think it was Jumbo & not Lider). When you walk in, there are tons of vendors (well, on the outside too). The olive vendors are pretty clustered on one side of the building. The Kalamata look-alikes were in a barrel, in all of their purple glory, with one of the larger olive vendors. Wish I had a better recollection to provide detail. Perhaps someone knows whereof I speak.

John Hyre

Tombi I could give you a hug! I've been missing kalamata olives like crazy and I haven't gone into a unimarc in a while, I'm drooling at the prospect!!! Now I will definitely make a detour there, thanks for the tip (again)

Are the kalamata look-alikes Azapas? If you get aceitunas Azapas and specify that you want them "amargas" (often they have two types), they are closeish. And purple. You can get them pretty much all over in Santiago, the supermarket, the Vega, etc. But real kalamatas would be lovely. Might have to check those out!

Azapas, check. Needed the memory jog. As you said closish, but not the same.

John Hyre

Yes, I like the azapas, but they're a bit squishy! Pleasure Catt