Kalamon
also called Kalamata, Kalamatiani, Aetonychi, ChondroliaThe large, elongated, freestone olive sold everywhere as "Kalamata". Worth getting straight: Kalamon is the variety, while Kalamata PDO olive oil is made from Koroneiki — so a bottle of Kalamata PDO oil contains no Kalamon at all.
Kalamata PDO olive oil is made from Koroneiki, not Kalamon
| Also called | Kalamata, Kalamatiani, Aetonychi, Chondrolia |
|---|---|
| Main regions | Messinia, Laconia, Aetoloakarnania and mainland Greece |
| Purpose | Dual-purpose — primarily natural black table olives |
| Oleic acid | Not published |
| Harvest | Late ripening, November–December, at full colour change |
| Designations | Elia Kalamatas PDO (table olives) |
| Name warning | Kalamata PDO olive oil is made from Koroneiki, not Kalamon |
In the grove
Aroma and flavour descriptors
No descriptors are published for Kalamon oil. The IOC calls the oil excellent and rich in polyphenols but publishes no descriptors, and no panel data for monovarietal Kalamon oil could be found. We do not infer them from the fruit or from related varieties — 40 of the 40 varieties here are in the same position.
This shelf fills when the panel scores an oil made from this variety. 19 of the 40 varieties here are in the same state today.
Kalamon against the other Greece varieties
| Variety | Origin region | Used for | Polyphenols | Shelf stability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koroneiki | Koroni, Messinia, Peloponnese | Oil | Around the Greek mean; Cretan surveys 138–441 mg/kg | Not published |
| Kalamon | Messinia, southern Peloponnese | Dual-purpose | Not published | Not published |
| Manaki | Central Greece and the northeastern Peloponnese | Dual-purpose | Not published | Not published |
| Tsounati | Western Crete and the southern Peloponnese | Dual-purpose | 173–641 mg/kg | Not published |
| Megaritiki | Megara, Attica | Dual-purpose | Not published | Not published |
| Konservolia | Amfissa and Fthiotida, central Greece | Dual-purpose | Not published | Not published |
| Chalkidiki | Chalkidiki, Central Macedonia | Dual-purpose | 290–606 mg/kg | Up to 36 h Rancimat in early-harvest oil |
Sources
- IOC World Catalogue of Olive Varieties
- High-phenolic olive oil defined from Greek qNMR data, Molecules 26(4):1115
- Kalamata PDO oil in Messinia, Foods 8(12):610
Every figure on this page carries a source. Where we could not find one we say so rather than estimating. Corrections are welcome and credited.