This is an actual olive tree variety. The tree needs another olive tree to cross-pollinate it. Its olives are ready to harvest green in early September. Sometimes they are also allowed to ripen to black (actually, a purplish-pink.) The olives are grown primarily for use as table olives.
Manzanilla Olives are grown around the world, practically in any country that grows olives. They are cured in brine, and available in many forms: pitted, unpitted, stuffed, sliced, etc.
Manzanilla de Sevilla, Manzanilla de dos Hermanas, Manzanilla de Carmona , Manzanilla de Tortosa, Manzanilla Almodovar del Campo and
Redondilla de Logroño are all synonyms for the same olive. Manzanilla del Piquito (aka Manzanilla Basta) and Manzanilla Prieta (aka Perillo de Jaen) are slightly different varieties. Both of these latter two varieties are used for both table and oil.
History Notes
Native to Andalucia in Southern Spain.
Language Notes
Outside of Spain, many places got the name mixed up and called it Manzanillo, but it’s too late to change that now. In Spanish, “Manzanilla” means “Little Apples”. “Manzanilla” is pronounced “man – za – knee — ah”.