Decades Ago, Olive Loaf Dominated Delis - Here's What Happened To This Old-School Cold Cut

If you went back in time 50 years or so, and looked behind the counter at your local deli, you'd find plenty of ham, roast beef, and corned beef, plus a couple of Anthony Bourdain's comforting pastrami sandwiches. But, you'd also find a few deli meats that you don't see as often these days. Case in point: olive loaf, which was once quite popular before receding from the spotlight.

Olive loaf is exactly what it sounds like — bologna studded with olives and pimentos (the go-to olive stuffer). It's made by mixing the olives into a meat mixture known as a "farce" and baking it in an oven before slicing. If you've ever had mortadella, an Italian cold cut that features cubed pork fat, peppercorns, and sometimes pistachios, olive loaf is a little like that — except with olives. It's meaty, salty, briny, sweet ... it's delightful. So why did both Oscar Mayer and Boar's Head discontinue it? Neither company offered a reason, but we can hazard a few guesses, mostly related to high sodium, saturated fat, and some other highly processed lunchmeat-related baggage. That said, other companies still produce it — so, olive loaf fans, you're not entirely out of luck.

Part of the problem may be that all bologna — even artisanal bologna like olive loaf — comes with a certain amount of baggage. We've all probably had bologna (or baloney, as it's sometimes spelled) for lunch as kids, maybe more often than we would have liked. It's a cheap, functional deli meat, and while it can be delicious in the right circumstances, it's not going to make people stand up and take notice, even if it's pockmarked with tasty olives. What originated from the prized sausages of Italy, had become the frowny slices of meat paste in the U.S. — a rep that it still can't seem to shake. 

There's also the issue of the health food movement, which bologna definitely isn't a part of. It's got a ton of salt and fat, even without the addition of the brined olives. While it's fine in moderation (It wouldn't be the first time diet culture has tried to turn us against relatively harmless foods, including the seemingly unappetizing reality of lunch meat production), those who are health-conscious will probably choose chicken or turkey before they reach for olive loaf. Still, that just means there's more for you if you want to try it yourself! You may not be able to get it from Boar's Head or Oscar Mayer anymore, but there are still plenty of options, including Walmart and Usinger, if you'd like to taste a bit of old-world deli charm.