Annual Western Anatolia Olive and Olive Oil Culture Tour

The annual “Western Anatolian Olive and Olive Oil Culture” tour of TCF- Culinary Arts Center (YESAM) took place the second weekend of November. The tour that is dedicated to introducing the olive oil culture of the region featured the towns of Ayvalık, Cunda and Edremit.

The cultural tours of TCF-YESAM in collaboration with NAR Gourmet, BORA JET and BORA TRAVEL is designed to support the local production and sustainability of the region visited. Olive oil is a very important part in almost all aspects of life in the Nothern Aegean coast including the culinary culture, architecture and art. The tour was led by Nedim Atilla, journalist and food culture resarcher. The participants had a chance to witness and participate in an olive harvest, production of olive oil, walked on the streets of Ayvalık and Cunda where they got a chance to trace the history of olive oil and its effects on civil architecture and art. The group also visited other olive oil producers, a private olive oil culture museum of Evren Ertür and met some of the influential and important people of Ayvalık and Edremit region including Selin Ertür, who is an expert olive oil degustator who has won several medals around the world for the olive oil she produces in her grandfather’s olive oil plant. Throughout the weekend participants tasted local dishes made with local ingredients such as wild herbs and greens, seafood and seasonal vegetables all cooked with olive oil.