Provence in a jar: The Story of Tapenade
There are certain flavours that instantly transport you somewhere.
The scent of lavender drying in the summer sun. The first sip of a chilled rosé on a warm evening. Fresh melon bought from a roadside stall. And then there’s tapenade. Open a jar, spread it onto a slice of fresh bread, and suddenly you’re sitting under the shade of a plane tree somewhere in Provence, waiting for friends to arrive for an apéritif.
For many people, tapenade is simply an olive spread. For us, it’s so much more than that. It represents hospitality, family gatherings, long summer evenings and one of Provence’s most cherished traditions: sharing good food with the people around you.
A Taste of Provence
The apéritif is almost sacred in Provence. As the day begins to cool, neighbours, friends and family gather before dinner. The table quickly fills with bowls of olives, slices of saucisson, local cheeses, chilled rosé or pastis, and a selection of little dishes designed for sharing.
Tapenade is almost always among them.
Served with fresh baguette, toasted sourdough or crisp crackers, it’s one of those foods that disappears remarkably quickly, usually accompanied by stories, laughter and another glass of rosé. It has become one of the defining flavours of Provence and remains one of the simplest ways to bring a little of the Mediterranean to your own table.
Where Did Tapenade Come From?
Although olive pastes have existed throughout the Mediterranean for thousands of years, the tapenade we know today is believed to have been created in Marseille in 1880 by Chef Meynier at the Maison Dorée restaurant. The name comes from the Provençal word tapeno, meaning caper, which is actually one of the traditional ingredients alongside black olives, anchovies, olive oil and herbs. Since then, tapenade has spread well beyond Provence, becoming one of the region’s most recognisable specialities. Every family has their preferred recipe, some stronger on anchovies, others richer in olives, some smoother, others wonderfully rustic.
Why Nyons Olives Are So Special
Not all olives make great tapenade. For ours, we chose a recipe made with the famous black olives from Nyons, just north of Provence. They were the very first olives in France to receive an AOP designation, recognising both their exceptional quality and their unique growing conditions. Unlike many olives harvested while still firm, Nyons olives are traditionally left on the tree until after the first frosts. The cooler temperatures naturally soften the fruit, reducing bitterness and allowing the olives to develop a sweeter, almost buttery flavour with remarkable depth. The result is a tapenade that is rich, smooth and beautifully balanced, with the olives taking centre stage rather than being overwhelmed by salt or anchovies.
More Than Just Tapenade
When I was growing up in Provence, there were three spreads that almost always appeared at an apéritif. Black olive tapenade. Caviar d’aubergine. And anchoïade. Each had its own place on the table. The smoky sweetness of aubergine, the bold saltiness of anchoïade and the rich depth of tapenade complemented one another perfectly. Today, Provençal producers have become wonderfully creative. Alongside these classics you’ll now find spreads made from courgettes, sundried tomatoes, peppers, artichokes and other Mediterranean vegetables. Many are naturally vegan, making them just as popular today as they were decades ago. Despite all these new flavours, black olive tapenade remains the undisputed classic.
The Saturday Market in Apt
Some of my earliest memories are of Saturday mornings in Apt with my grandfather. Before the market became busy, we’d walk across the Place de la Mairie to visit one particular olive stall. They sold enormous barrels of Nyons olives alongside beautiful Banon cheeses wrapped in chestnut leaves. Thirty years later, that very same stall is still there. The queue is just as long as I remember, and if you’re planning to visit Apt Market, it’s worth arriving early because by mid-morning there’s usually a crowd waiting patiently for their turn. Those olives became the benchmark by which I’ve judged every tapenade ever since.
Why We Chose Our Producers
Finding the right producers was never going to be easy. At Tariette, we wanted every spread to taste exactly as we remembered from home, so rather than relying on a single supplier, we chose to work with specialists. For our range of Mediterranean vegetable spreads, including our caviar d’aubergine, courgette and sundried tomato recipes, we partnered with Méditea and their Délices du Luberon collection. Based in the heart of Provence, Méditea can be found at many of the markets across the Luberon, where locals return week after week to stock up on their favourite spreads. Their recipes celebrate regional ingredients and traditional Provençal flavours with a modern touch.
When it came to black olive tapenade, however, there was one producer that stood above the rest. We chose Mr Corread from Buis-les-Baronnies, specialist in Nyons olives and the maker of what we believe is the finest black olive tapenade in our region. Rich, smooth and wonderfully balanced, it lets the exceptional quality of the AOP Nyons olives shine through. It has become the flagship of our apéritif range and the tapenade we most often recommend to anyone looking for an authentic taste of Provence.
Together, these two producers perfectly reflect what we're always looking for at Tariette: exceptional ingredients, genuine regional expertise and flavours that instantly transport us back home.
More Than an Apéritif
Most people simply spread tapenade on toasted bread, and rightly so. But in Provence, it’s used in countless other ways: on white fish before baking, inside fougasse, stirred through pasta, in sandwiches or simply enjoyed with good bread and a glass of rosé.
A Little Jar That Brings You Home
Perhaps that’s why tapenade has remained such an enduring favourite. It simply captures the essence of Provence in a jar. Every spoonful carries the flavour of sun-ripened olives, family meals shared outdoors and the generosity that defines Provençal hospitality. Whether you’ve spent years visiting Provence or are discovering these flavours for the first time, opening a jar of good tapenade has a remarkable ability to transport you there. And that’s exactly what we hoped to bring to the UK when we chose these exceptional artisan producers.
A little taste of home.
One jar at a time.
