Antep Fıstık Ezmesi

Antep Fıstık Ezmesi / Antepfıstığı Ezmesi / Gaziantep Fıstık Ezmesi is a confectionery product produced exclusively in Gaziantep province in southeastern Türkiye. It is made by combining early-harvested Gaziantep pistachios — known as boziç — with precise proportions of water and beet sugar, boiling the mixture into a syrup, combining it with the ground pistachios, kneading the mass into a dough, rolling it to a 3–4 cm thickness, and slicing. The European Commission entered it in the Union register of geographical indications on 25 June 2025, by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1245, published in Official Journal L 2025/1245. It is registered as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) under Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 via transitional provisions. The Single Document application was published in OJ C/2025/1380 on 26 February 2025; no opposition was received within the three-month period. The Turkish domestic GI application was published in the Official e-Bulletin of the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office No: 18 of 1 December 2017, page 26.

In 2015, Gaziantep joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a city of gastronomy. The earliest known reference to Antep Fıstık Ezmesi in published literature dates to 1963 (Ejder Kalelioglu, Turk Cografya Dergisi, 1963). A 2001 publication by the Gaziantep Pistachio Research Institute Directorate (Antepfistigi Yetistiriciligi, Publication No. 13) notes that the product was already sold in large volumes in both domestic and foreign markets at that date.

What makes it distinct

The defining characteristic of Antep Fıstık Ezmesi is the mandatory use of boziç — early-harvested Gaziantep pistachios collected 30–40 days before the ordinary harvest window, between the end of July and the first half of August. Boziç kernels are less developed than fully matured pistachios, have a lighter overall colour, and carry a dark green inner fruit. The moisture content of the raw material must not exceed 5%.

The permissible pistachio varieties are Uzun, Nizip, Urfa, and Barak Yıldızı — all cultivars associated with the Gaziantep growing area. The selection of boziç at the correct moment of early harvest is documented in the specification as the most critical step in production, requiring skill and expertise that is inherent in the local community and transmitted through a master-apprentice relationship.

Two further production steps require specialised skill: kneading and spreading. Insufficient kneading leaves pistachios undissolved in the mixture; excessive kneading causes fat loss that degrades quality. Spreading onto marble requires the correct amount of oil — too little or too much both negatively affect the final product.

Product specification

The following values are taken directly from the Single Document (OJ C/2025/1380):

Composition:

• Pistachios: minimum 45%

• Sugar: minimum 45%

• Moisture: 8–10%

• Fat content: 25–30%

Colour (instrumental measurement):

• L: 25–30

• a: (−5.50)–(−7.00)

• b: 14.50–16.50

Form: Rolled to 3–4 cm thickness, sliced.

Raw material specification

The raw material (boziç) must meet the following criteria as stated in the Single Document:

• Early-harvested Gaziantep pistachios only (varieties: Uzun, Nizip, Urfa, or Barak Yıldızı)

• Lighter colour than fully matured pistachios

• Less developed kernels

• Dark green inner fruit

• Maximum moisture content: 5%

Production steps

All of the following steps must take place within Gaziantep province:

1. Harvesting, drying, shelling, and grinding of boziç pistachios 2. Mixing sugar and water 3. Boiling the syrup 4. Combining the boiled syrup and pistachios 5. Cooling the mixture 6. Kneading the mixture 7. Spreading and rolling the mixture onto marble 8. Portioning

Geographical area

The defined production area is the entire territory of Gaziantep province. The geographical link derives from the product's strong reputation, its specific recipe, and the production skills of Gaziantep producers. Boziç pistachios — the mandatory raw material — are a product of the Gaziantep pistachio-growing tradition, and the expertise required to identify, harvest, and process them at the correct early-harvest stage is embedded in the local producer community.

Control authority

Gaziantep Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry (Gaziantep Il Tarim ve Orman Mudurlugu), Mucahitler Mahallesi Fevzi Cakmak Blv. No:102, Sehitkamil / Gaziantep (named in Register Extract field 5).