from wikipedia...
The Kalamata olive is a large, black olive with a smooth, meaty texture named after the city of Kalamata in the southern Peloponnese, Greece. Often used as a table olive, they are usually preserved in wine vinegar or olive oil. Kalamata olives enjoy PDO status.
Kalamata olives are named after the city of Kalamata in Messenia, southern Greece, near where they are grown. They are also grown in nearby Laconia. They are an almond-shaped, plump, dark purple olive, from a tree distinguished from the common olive by the size of its leaves, which grow to twice the size of other olive varieties...
A natural treatedolive kept in brine for 8 months.
Kalamata’s fruits are bulky, long and uneven,
with a sharp point
and a large base.
As an appetizer the small, salty and slightly bent black olive of Kalamata (Peloponnese) is exquisite. We
propose you a swift and very tasty recipe: chop some parsley and cook it on a pan along a few Kalamata olives. Serve immediately on a warm dish. If you cannot find any Kalamata you may well replace them with our superb Gaeta olives