Ayvalık, A Trip To Remember; TCF-YESAM's First Cultural

The first cultural tour of TCF-YESAM took place on the weekend of 22-24th November, 2013 in Ayvalık with the guidance of Nedim Atilla, a food culture researcher and olive oil admirer. To celebrate the olive harvesting season, YESAM took olive oil enthusiasts on a tour of Ayvalık, Cunda and Mount Ida (Kaz Dağları).

Nedim Atilla, who is an expert on the region, took the participants on a very colorful and informative tour starting in Ayvalık city center. A walk through the old streets of Ayvalık was a journey to the past as Mr. Atilla explained the city’s cultural heritage.  Later on in the tour, the participants had a chance to observe the olive harvest taking place at the NAR Gourmet olive gardens, followed by a visit to a modern olive oil factory.  Participants got to taste freshly squeezed olive oil with all its aroma and sediments.  After a delicious lunch consisting of local ingredients and dishes served at one of the city’s oldest restaurants, the tour continued with a visit to the newly established olive oil museum.

On the second day of the tour the group visited a private museum established with the efforts of Evren Ertür, the owner of Midas Olive Oil Company and a fourth generation olive oil producer. The museum houses a variety of olive oil presses from the ancient times up until the 1920s. There is also a glass case that contains soap moulds that belonged to Mr. Ertür’s grandfather.

The tour continued with a visit to the villages of Mount Ida. Mount Ida is located to the north of Edremit. There are quite a number of small villages in the region and this area is well-known for its high oxygen levels. Zeytinbağı Hotel and Restaurant located in the Çamlıbel village of Mount Ida is famous for the excellent local dishes they serve. The group enjoyed a feast of homemade bread, a variety of locally-grown herbs, vegetables and lamb before the return flight to İstanbul.