Marmarabirlik Plain Black Olive Paste (Sade Zeytin Ezmesi) is a smooth, spreadable purée made from salted natural black table olives, finished with sunflower lecithin and lactic acid as listed on the label. The plain version is not spiced, so the savoury, gently bitter flavour of the olives comes through clearly. It is produced by the Marmarabirlik olive cooperative union in Bursa, Türkiye, and comes in a 175 g glass jar carrying a halal certification mark.
On a Turkish breakfast table, olive paste is spread thinly over fresh bread, simit or toast next to white cheese, tomatoes and cucumber. It also works well in sandwiches and wraps, as a base for canapés, stirred into yoghurt or labneh for a quick dip, folded through warm pasta, or spooned onto pizza dough before baking. A drizzle of olive oil with a pinch of thyme or chilli flakes lifts it further.
Keep the jar in the fridge after opening. The label points out that the olive oil in the paste firms up when cold, so let it stand at room temperature for a few minutes before serving. The paste may contain tiny olive stone fragments, and the pack states it may contain traces of walnut. Unopened, the producer gives a shelf life of up to two years.
