Qinglan Olives

Qinglan Olives

　　Olives, also known as "Chiton fruit," have white flowers and green, oblong-shaped fruits. The Qinglan Management Area cultivates a variety of olive types, mainly including high-quality varieties such as Clove Olive, Chajiao Olive, and Shantou White Olive. Through long-term improvement, grafting, and hybridization, these olives have absorbed the strengths of various strains, forming a unique category of Qinglan Olives. The fruit is oval-shaped, with smooth and thin skin that is bluish-green with a slight wax-yellow tint. The stem end is slightly red, the tip has fine streaks, and the skin features small black dots. The base is round with slight wrinkles, the flesh is thick, crisp, and refreshing, leaving a fragrant aftertaste and natural sweetness without any astringency. Currently, the cultivation area of this product exceeds 1,500 acres, with an annual yield of up to 50 tons. Moreover, once the fruit matures in this region, it can remain on the tree from August until just before Chinese New Year, resulting in a long harvest period and therefore very high economic value.

　　Qinglan Olives are highly appreciated by people in the Chaoshan region. When the fruit is initially ripe, some can be harvested and processed into sweet olives, five-spice olives, or licorice olives; or cooked with sesame and chopped scallions to make "Black Olives," which are a beloved breakfast dish. When fully ripe, the olives can either be processed into finished products or mixed with peanuts, galangal, and other ingredients to create "Olive Crumbs" for use in various dishes. When harvested at the wax-yellow stage, they are known as "Fragrant Olives."