Uovo di Piccione is an olive tree cultivar with shiny green leaves that is fairly resistant to colder temperatures. It needs another olive tree such as Manzanilla to pollinate it.
The tree produces medium to large-sized olives that are used to make green table olives. They are harvested when green, and usually pickled.
The tree is grown in Argentina, France, Israel, Italy and New Zealand.
The olives are not great for oil because they have a very low oil content. As of 2004, though, New Zealand producers are experimenting with it for oil.
History Notes
Some sources say the cultivar originated in Tunisia; others say Italy.
Language Notes
The name “Uovo di Piccione” in Italian means “Pigeon Egg”.