List of characteristics of the main types of French olives and the illustrated plate of French olives and elsewhere.
| Type | Origin | Picking | Appearance and flavor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green olives | |||
| Lucca | Languedoc-Roussillon | September October | long, slightly curved, buttery nutty flavor |
| Picholine | Gard, Corsica, Bouches-du-Rhône, Alpes-Martimes | October | smooth, domed on one side, with a thin, flattened kernel, fleshy, crunchy |
| Salonenque or split green olive | Bouches-du-Rhône, Valley of Les Baux-de-Provence | September | pear-shaped, bumpy, often broken |
| Bouteillan | Alpes-Maritimes, Var | September October | pale green, smooth, generous |
| Aglandau | Provence | November December | green acorn shaped, aroma of artichoke, green fruit |
| Cayon | Alpes-Maritimes, Var | October | big, round and generous tomato flavor |
| Little Ribier | Alpes-Maritimes | October-December | smooth, light green |
| Black olives | |||
| Cailletier or Nice olive (AOC) | Alpes-Maritimes | December to April | Red or black brown |
| Grossane or black olive from Baux-de-Provence | Bouches-du-Rhône | November December | large with non-adherent stone, flavor of ripe apple and candied tomato |
| Tench or Nyons black olive | Nyonais, Baronies | December-January | brown-black, wrinkled, soft, prune flavor |
| Négrette | Languedoc-Roussillon, Gard | October-December | luscious black, peppery flavor |