Augusta National’s most beloved snack and the enthralling story behind it

The 2023 Masters Dinner happened on April 4 at the Augusta National Golf Club. it is a tradition that has been happening for decades now that every year the reigning champion hosts a dinner with all the previous champions.

While all the dishes on the menu are in accordance with the reigning champions' favorites, a special and most beloved snack from Augusta National is a must-serve for the occasion.

The most beloved special snack is the 'aperitif,' which is in itself a tradition. There is a whole 129-year-old story behind the 'olives' of Augusta National.

---

The story behind Augusta National's most beloved snack

The story goes back to the time when Augusta National just had golf and Olives. However, as per the legends, the club's love affair with the greenish fruit started when a kitchen staff, who was also the founder of the golf club, Clifford Roberts found them tasty enough for a pre-meal snack.

Roberts was a control freak who loved things to happen his way. It was that one spring when he ordered the club's ground staff to preserve the green plants with ice. In David Owen's book called The Making of the Masters, he mentioned that Mr. Roberts used to order the same grilled chicken breast sandwich on white toast and kept a watch on the menu each time he ordered.

But the most beloved snack that Mr. Roberts had developed an appetite for was not on the menu. Yet, the snack was always served to him without a request, before any meal of the day. It was an 'aperitif' which had an old-world charm with proper delicacy, with 'Graber olives' shaped to the size of a golf ball and lightly burned cornbread. Interestingly, all the dishes at the club were served in fine glassware, but the olives were served straight out of the tin.

Roberts' choice soon became the Champions Dinner custom. In honor of the club's founder, many of the club's largest dinners included an amuse-bouche of cornbread and olives. The pre-dinner snack soon became a tradition after Ben Hogan was honored at the first Champions Dinner in 1952.

These olives come from the farms of the Graber family, from where it got the name 'Graber Olives.' Nobody in the family knew when they started to sell the olives to Augusta National Golf Club. All they know is it started when Arnold Palmer first walked into their farm donning a green jacket and asked for the 'Graber olives.'

However, the most accurate story behind Augusta Nationals' most beloved snack is that of Mr. Roberts, who introduced this snack because of his appetite. A few veterans of the club say that they used to order 'size-16 olives' from Grabers. A size-16 olive has an average circumference of 1 inch, making it a martini glass interior of epic proportions. For comparison, the circumference of a golf ball is 1.68 inches.

Well, going back to the 2023 Masters Dinner, the food that was on the menu was: Cheeseburger Sliders, Firecracker Shrimp, Tortilla Soup, Texas Ribeye Steak, Blackened Redfish, and Warm Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie.