The Niçoise olive (olive de Nice) is a small, round, deep purple-black olive native to the Provence region of southeastern France, prized for a briny, slightly nutty flavor and firm, meaty flesh.
Olive cultivation reached the area around the 6th century BCE with Greek settlers, and the olive groves of coastal Provence, especially around Nice, have remained tied to the region's cuisine since. It's the defining olive in Salade Niçoise (with tuna, tomatoes, anchovies, and hard-boiled eggs) and in tapenade, and it appears widely in French, Italian, Greek, and Spanish cooking as a salad, pizza, and pasta ingredient and as a garnish for grilled meat and fish.
It pairs well with fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, basil), garlic, lemon, and other Mediterranean seasonings, and with tuna, anchovies, and roasted or grilled proteins.