Tanche
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The Tanche, probably the best known French
olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...
cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, ...
, is grown primarily in the
Drôme Drôme (; Occitan: ''Droma''; Arpitan: ''Drôma'') is the southernmost department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. Named after the river Drôme, it had a population of 516,762 as of 2019.
and
Vaucluse Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label= Provençal or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. 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 The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...
of
Massilia Massalia (Greek: Μασσαλία; Latin: Massilia; modern Marseille) was an ancient Greek colony founded ca. 600 BC on the Mediterranean coast of present-day France, east of the river Rhône, by Ionian Greek settlers from Phocaea, in Western An ...
, around the fourth century BC.


Extent

The Tanche is grown mostly in
Drôme Drôme (; Occitan: ''Droma''; Arpitan: ''Drôma'') is the southernmost department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. Named after the river Drôme, it had a population of 516,762 as of 2019.
and northern
Vaucluse Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label= Provençal or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. 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 Nyons 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.


Characteristics

It is a cultivar of medium vigour, with a spreading
growth 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 (forbs and graminoids), etc. The s ...
, elliptic
leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
, 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 A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
. 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 oil. 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 An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical boun ...
'' 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 (; oc, tapenada ) is a Provençal name for a spread, condiment and culinary ingredient consisting of puréed or finely chopped olives, capers, and anchovies. Its name comes from the Provençal word for capers, ''tapenas'' (). It is a ...
''.


Agronomy

The cultivar is slow to get into production, but after that production is high. It is a self-sterile variety, so it needs
pollinator A pollinator is an animal that moves pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma of a flower. This helps to bring about fertilization of the ovules in the flower by the male gametes from the pollen grains. Insects are the maj ...
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 PESTS was an anonymous American activist group formed in 1986 to critique racism, tokenism, and exclusion in the art world. PESTS produced newsletters, posters, and other print material highlighting examples of discrimination in gallery represent ...
, in particular '' Spilocaea oleaginea'', ''
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. Over 400 plant species are affected by ''Verticillium'' complex. M ...
'' and ''
Bactrocera oleae The olive fruit fly (''Bactrocera oleae'') is a species of fruit fly which belongs to the subfamily Dacinae. It is a phytophagous species whose larvae feed on the fruit of olive trees, hence the common name. It is considered a serious pest in t ...
''. Other than this, the main threat to the plant is wind, to which it is highly susceptible. It is quite resistant to cold.


References

{{Olives Olive cultivars