Marmarabirlik Kuru Sele Kurutulmuş Doğal Salamura Siyah Zeytin is a family-size tub of dry-cured black olives in the S grade, labelled 291-320 olives per kilogram. The pack shows a net weight of 815 g with 800 g of drained olives, and the Koruyucu İçermez seal tells you that no preservatives are used. As with all kuru sele olives, the fruit is cured and dried until wrinkled, giving a concentrated, savoury, slightly chewy olive.
They are a natural partner for a Turkish breakfast with white cheese, tomatoes and warm bread, and they also lift cooked dishes: stir them into a tomato and pepper sauce, bake them into pide, poğaça or focaccia, or toss them with olive oil, thyme, orange zest and chilli flakes for an easy meze bowl. Because the olives are salty, taste a dish before adding extra salt.
The manufacturer lists an 18-month shelf life for this tub when unopened and kept in a cool, dry place. Once opened, keep the lid closed, store the olives in the fridge and use a clean spoon each time.