Tanche
Encyclopedia
The Tanche, probably the best known French olive
cultivar
, is grown primarily in the Drôme
and Vaucluse
regions of southern France
. It is often referred to as a perle noire, the "Black Pearl of Provence". The Tanche is said to have been introduced to France by the Greeks
of Massilia, around the fourth century BC.
and northern Vaucluse
regions of southern France
. Attempts to grow this variety outside of its native region are rarely successful.
are normally referred to as Olive de Nyons, or simply Nyons, and this is the name under which the olive is best known to the rest of the world. Another synonym, used in parts of Vaucluse, is Olive de Carpentras
.
, elliptic leaves
, an expansive global crown, and large size. The olives are of medium-to-high weight (5–6 g), elliptic in shape with a rounded tip and slightly asymmetrical. The stone is ovoid, rounded on both ends, with a rough surface and a mucro.
The fruits can be harvested at smaller size in late November, while for larger olives it is better to wait until December or January. When fully mature, the colour of the fruit is a violet black.
. It is very productive and gives a yield of 22–25%. The oil has a "smooth taste and an aroma of crisp green apples and freshly cut grass". The very sweet taste is normally associated with the late harvest. Olives picked at a later maturity give an oil with much more character.
This cultivar is the only one to enjoy the appellation
of Nyons, which it was granted in 1994. Oils of this denomination must contain at least 95% Tanche The Tanche is also popularly used to make the dish tapenade
.
s for fertilisation. The most common pollinator is the Cayon
. There are today more than 230,000 Tanche olive trees, representing an annual production of around 400 tons of table olives and 200 tons of olive oil.
Tanche is vulnerable to certain pests, in particular Spilocaea oleaginea, Verticillium dahliae
and Bactrocera oleae. Other than this, the main threat to the plant is wind, to which it is highly susceptible. It is quite resistant to cold.
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
, is grown primarily in the Drôme
Drôme
Drôme , a department in southeastern France, takes its name from the Drôme River.-History:The French National Constituent Assembly set up Drôme as one of the original 83 departments of France on March 4, 1790, during the French Revolution...
and Vaucluse
Vaucluse
The Vaucluse is a department in the southeast of France, named after the famous spring, the Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.- History :Vaucluse was created on 12 August 1793 out of parts of the departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, Drôme, and Basses-Alpes...
regions of southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is often referred to as a perle noire, the "Black Pearl of Provence". The Tanche is said to have been introduced to France by the Greeks
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
of Massilia, around the fourth century BC.
Extent
The Tanche is grown mostly in DrômeDrôme
Drôme , a department in southeastern France, takes its name from the Drôme River.-History:The French National Constituent Assembly set up Drôme as one of the original 83 departments of France on March 4, 1790, during the French Revolution...
and northern Vaucluse
Vaucluse
The Vaucluse is a department in the southeast of France, named after the famous spring, the Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.- History :Vaucluse was created on 12 August 1793 out of parts of the departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, Drôme, and Basses-Alpes...
regions of southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Attempts to grow this variety outside of its native region are rarely successful.
Synonyms
Since the cultivar is largely local in scope, it also has few synonyms. The olives grown in the region around the town of NyonsNyons
Nyons is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-History:Nyons was settled in the 6th century BC as Nyrax by a Gallic tribe, probably the Segusiavi or the Sequani...
are normally referred to as Olive de Nyons, or simply Nyons, and this is the name under which the olive is best known to the rest of the world. Another synonym, used in parts of Vaucluse, is Olive de Carpentras
Carpentras
Carpentras is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It stands on the banks of the Auzon...
.
Characteristics
It is a cultivar of medium vigour, with a spreading growth formPlant life-form
Plant life-form schemes constitute a way of classifying plants alternatively to the ordinary species-genus-family scientific classification. In colloquial speech, plants may be classified as trees, shrubs, herbs , etc...
, elliptic leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
, an expansive global crown, and large size. The olives are of medium-to-high weight (5–6 g), elliptic in shape with a rounded tip and slightly asymmetrical. The stone is ovoid, rounded on both ends, with a rough surface and a mucro.
The fruits can be harvested at smaller size in late November, while for larger olives it is better to wait until December or January. When fully mature, the colour of the fruit is a violet black.
Processing
The Tanche is a dual-use cultivar, used both as a table olive and for extraction of oilOlive oil
Olive oil is an oil obtained from the olive , a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps...
. It is very productive and gives a yield of 22–25%. The oil has a "smooth taste and an aroma of crisp green apples and freshly cut grass". The very sweet taste is normally associated with the late harvest. Olives picked at a later maturity give an oil with much more character.
This cultivar is the only one to enjoy the appellation
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
of Nyons, which it was granted in 1994. Oils of this denomination must contain at least 95% Tanche The Tanche is also popularly used to make the dish tapenade
Tapenade
Tapenade is a Provençal dish consisting of puréed or finely chopped olives, capers, anchovies and olive oil. Its name comes from the Provençal word for capers, tapenas . It is a popular food in the south of France, where it is generally eaten as an hors d’œuvre, spread on bread...
.
Agronomy
The cultivar is slow to get into production, but after that production is high. It is a self-sterile variety, so it needs a pollinatorPollinator
A pollinator is the biotic agent that moves pollen from the male anthers of a flower to the female stigma of a flower to accomplish fertilization or syngamy of the female gamete in the ovule of the flower by the male gamete from the pollen grain...
s for fertilisation. The most common pollinator is the Cayon
Cayon (olive)
The Cayon is a cultivar of olives grown primarily in the Var region of southern France. It is used primarily for the production of olive oil. The Cayon is highly valued for its role as a pollinator of other olive varieties.-Extent and synonyms:...
. There are today more than 230,000 Tanche olive trees, representing an annual production of around 400 tons of table olives and 200 tons of olive oil.
Tanche is vulnerable to certain pests, in particular Spilocaea oleaginea, Verticillium dahliae
Verticillium dahliae
Verticillium dahliae is a fungal plant pathogen. It causes verticillium wilt in many plant species, causing leaves to curl and discolor. It may cause death in some plants.- External links :* *...
and Bactrocera oleae. Other than this, the main threat to the plant is wind, to which it is highly susceptible. It is quite resistant to cold.