Black olives are olives that have turned black either through full ripening on the tree followed by curing (dry-salt curing, brine fermentation, or oil curing) or, for most canned 'black olives' sold in the US, through an unrelated industrial process: unripe green olives are treated and exposed to oxygen to darken them artificially, then canned, with no natural fermentation involved. Naturally cured black olives, such as Kalamata, Niçoise, and oil-cured Moroccan olives, have a bold, briny, often fruity flavor and a firmer, meatier texture; canned oxidized black olives are milder, softer, and less complex by comparison. Both types are used across Mediterranean cooking, in salads, tapenade, pasta sauces, pizza, and antipasti, and can be stuffed with garlic, feta, or almonds as an appetizer.