A Tour Devoted to Tasting World's Most Delicious Pine Nuts...

TCF-YESAM’s first cultural tour to Kozak region to witness the pine nut harvest took place in the last weekend of February. The Kozak region is known for its vast pine tree forests and delicious pine nuts. The trip guided by Nedim Atilla, jounalist and food culture resarcher, shone a light to the journey of pine nuts from the trees to our tables. After learning about the harvest and processing of the pine nuts, the participants got a taste of the local dishes as well as dishes flavored with pine nuts.

The pine nuts of the region has received a geographical indication in 2008 as “Bergama Kozak Pine Nuts.” The master climbers, climb the pine trees that are about 15-20 meters tall, using a special stick. The same stick is used to take down the pine cones while they are at the top of the tree. The cones that are collected later on are either laid out to dry and open on their own to release the nuts or they are taken to a factory to get processed. Pine nuts make up the majority of the economy and it is the main source or living in the region.  

After a visit to the vast pine forests and a small factory in Kozak, the participants also visited the town of Bergama, the Antique cities of Pergamon and Perperene to explore the historical heritage of the region. The trip ended with a visit to the oldest trader’s men restaurant in Western Aegean region followed by a visit to the famous yoghurt shop, that has been using an heirloom starter for the past 103 years.