Ready for a Fiesta?

Enrique Castro and Monica Zolezzi have brought their passion for naturally made, Peruvian olives to our farmers’ market. Learn more about Fiesta Olives and how they are a little bit different from other olives you’ve tried.

What kinds of products do you sell?

All kinds of olives, particularly:

• Natural Black and Green Olives, cured with salt and water only
• Stuffed Olives with: Red Jalapeno, Garlic, Feta Cheese, Lemon Twist, Roasted Almonds, Celery
• Olive Tapenades (pastes) with chipotle and roasted red pepper
• Olive Bruschetta
• Fiesta Mix -  a blend different kinds of olives

How did you decide to make these products and start selling them?

We owned an olive farm in Peru for 12 years and discovered that Edmonton needed very good quality olives at affordable prices. So, we decided to make and sell Peruvian olives right here in Edmonton.

What inspired you to become a farmers’ market vendor?

We felt we could make a difference educating the public regarding natural olives and bringing back the authentic olive flavour. We saw a lack of knowledge about what makes a good olive and it disturbed us enough to want to make a difference.

Why do you like selling at the City Market Downtown?

We really enjoy both selling at the City Market Downtown and love personally interacting with consumers. It is something they cannot do at regular supermarkets and it is what makes farmers’ markets so great.

What is your best selling product?

The Fiesta Mix and the Natural Black Olive

What makes your olives taste so good?  How are they different from the rest?

Our olives come from Peru, South America, where we inherited the trees from the Spanish Conquistadors. Our trees are fairly young and healthy. All our olives have been carefully handpicked one by one, to avoid bruising. Our natural black and green olives have been cured following the ancient method: in brine only, just salt and water. Our pitted olives have not been pitted with industrial machinery but with artisan olive pitters, one by one. Our olives are very different from the rest. Most of the olives we find for sale have been cured using different kinds of chemical processes (from bleaching to dyeing and heat treatments).

Do you have a memorable, unique or funny story about selling at the City Market Downtown?

One lady came once and saw our purple natural olives and demanded pitch black olives. I smiled at her her and asked, “Are you sure you want those pitch black olives?” She reply “Yes, those are the only olives I eat and like.” So, I went on with explaining to her that the olives she liked and was referring to were harvested when they were green (unripe); then cured by a chemical debittering process (with caustic soda/bleach); then, the olives undertake a second chemical process called oxidation by which green olives are exposed to air and therefore turned  black — the pitch black color of her favorite olives. So as I was finishing my explanation of the process we use to cure our own Natural Black (which are closer to the colour purple) Olives, she had already grabbed one of our containers, paid and said: “I think I will take one of these funny purple olives”, and left.

What are your future dates at the City Market Downtown at City Hall?

Fiesta Olives are available every Saturday at the City Market Downtown at City Hall.

How can people learn more about your olives and your company?

We are on Facebook. We invite you to become our fan.