Exploring the Olive Oil Culture of Ayvalık

TCF-YESAM’s annual cultural tour of “Olive Harvest on the Northern Aegean Coast” took place on 7-9 November, this year again in the guidance of food culture resarcher and journalist Nedim Atilla. The participants, spent two days in Ayvalık region, the land of olive oil located in the western Anatolian region.  During this time period, the group had a chance to witness the journey of the olive oil, as well as tasting some of the most exquisite cuisines made with the local ingredients of the region.

Participants visited Mutlu Köy (Mutlu Village), where NAR Gourmet’s olive groves are located. With a warm cup of tea in their hands, they were informed about olive production and harvesting. Later on, the group was taken to a nearby olive oil factory to witness both the stone press and continous production, followed by an olive oil tasting from freshly squeezed olives.

One of the highlights of the trip was a visit to Evren Ertür’s factory, 3rd generation olive oil producer, that also houses a private museum filled with artifacts related to olive oil production. The group also met his daughter, Selin Ertür, one of the very few established olive oil tasters in the world. She is now using her grandfather’s old factory to produce her distinctive olive oil that has earned many awards both nationally and internationally.

The trip ended with a visit to the the Kaz mountains, famous for its high oxygen levels followed by a delicious late lunch.