The Little Book of Olives

Brimming with trivia, expert tips on buying and storing, and easy recipes, The Little Book of Olives is a stylish, fun guide for anyone who loves olives.

Olives are everywhere. Step into New York’s Big Night, browse the playful designs of Wear Your Snacks, or glance at the cocktail menu of your favourite bar, and you’ll see that this timeless snack has rolled to the very centre of today’s food culture. They’ve inspired custom ceramics, luxury glassware, jewellery, even throw pillows. And no wonder: these salty, briny fruits are iconic.

Humans have been eating olives for over 100,000 years, yet we keep finding new ways to enjoy them—from Ferran Adrià’s famed "liquid olives" at elBulli to olive oil caviar, freeze-dried olives, and olive-infused spirits available with a few clicks online. For chefs, a simple bowl of marinated olives can be a canvas for seasonal flavours; for home cooks, they’re both a shortcut to elegant entertaining and a springboard for endless creativity.

The Little Book of Olives celebrates this moment in olive obsession. Packed with history, agricultural insights, photographs, and illustrated infographics on varietals and preservation methods, it offers practical advice on buying and storing olives, profiles of restaurants, bars, and makers shaping olive culture, and 25 recipes that showcase their versatility. From Tapenade Toasts and Olive Rosemary Breadsticks to Labneh with Green Olives and Preserved Lemon, and even a Dirty Martini, this stylish guide is designed for today’s olive lover.

Whether you’re a martini drinker who always asks for extra olives or a host looking to turn a simple snack into a statement, this book transforms olive appreciation into olive expertise.