Marmarabirlik Gold is the brand's low-salt black olive in its largest size: XL fruit, around 201 to 230 per kilogram, in natural brine with the salt level reduced to 2.5%, as shown on the tin. The label lists only table black olives, water, salt, lactic acid and calcium chloride, and the tin is marked "Koruyucu İçermez" (no preservatives) and carries a halal certificate number. It is produced by the Marmarabirlik olive cooperative union in Bursa, Türkiye, and packed in a tin with an 800 g drained weight.
These big, meaty olives suit being the centrepiece of a Turkish breakfast with white cheese, tomatoes, cucumber and fresh bread, and they are equally at home on a meze platter. Halve them for salads, pizzas and pide, add them to pasta, rice or bulgur dishes, or serve them with olive oil, thyme and a squeeze of lemon as an easy starter. Their milder salt level means they need little more than a quick rinse if you prefer a gentler taste.
Store the sealed tin in a cool, dry place. As printed on the tin, keep the olives in the fridge after opening; transfer them with their brine to a lidded container, and do not buy or use leaking or swollen tins. The producer notes that olives may look brownish after opening and darken again on contact with air, which is natural. Contains stones.