Araban Sarımsağı

Araban Sarımsağı is a garlic of the species Allium sativum L. grown in the Araban district of Gaziantep province in the Southeastern Anatolia region of Turkey. The European Commission entered it in the register of protected designations of origin on 21 March 2024, by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/906, published in Official Journal L 2024/906. The application was submitted by Araban Chamber of Agriculture (Araban Ziraat Odası). The EU application reference is PDO-TR-2767, with an application date of 8 April 2021. The EU Single Document was published in Official Journal C/2023/162 on 6 October 2023.

Araban Sarımsağı is an early-harvested garlic that grows only on the Araban Plain, a 250 km² plain in the northeast of Gaziantep province at an altitude of 610 metres, 67 km from the city centre. It is planted before winter in October–November and harvested in May — a growing season defined by the transition between Mediterranean and continental climate conditions.

What makes it distinct

The PDO specification identifies three defining characteristics of Araban Sarımsağı: its large size with a white head and shell and cream-yellow interior, its high dry matter and selenium content, and its strong smell and flavour derived from sulphurous essential oil (the allinase enzyme). Average sulphurous essential oil content is 0.4%.

Araban Sarımsağı is an early-harvested variety. While the selenium content of normal garlic is 0.884–2.333 micrograms, the Single Document confirms that Araban Sarımsağı contains 1.622–2.864 micrograms of selenium — a distinction directly linked to the high humus content and specific soil chemistry of the Araban Plain.

Physical and chemical properties

The following values are taken directly from the PDO specification and Single Document:

Bulb characteristics:

• Cross section: oval

• Longitudinal section: elliptical

• Shell colour: white, with strips on bulb skin and clove

• Bulb diameter: 80–150 mm

• Average bulb weight: 40–60 g (can reach up to 100 g)

• Number of cloves per bulb: approximately 10–15

• Number of protective skins: 5–10

• Clove shell separation: easy

Clove characteristics:

• Average clove weight: 4–7 g

• Average clove length: 1–3 cm

• Interior colour: cream-yellow

Chemical parameters (per 100 g):

• Dry matter: 32–42 g

• Water: 55–70 g

• Carbohydrates: 25–32 g

• Protein: 5–6 g

• Fat: 0.1–0.3 g

• Cellulose: 0.9–1.3 g

• Sulphurous essential oil: average 0.4%

• Dry matter ratio: 32–42%

Storage: Minimum 5 months, maximum 10 months.

Production zone

The demarcated geographical area covers all villages and towns of the Araban district in Gaziantep province. The Araban Plain is 250 km² wide, at an altitude of 610 metres. The total district area is 534 km². Average annual precipitation is 559 mm/m². All steps in production must take place within the defined geographical area, from soil irrigation and plowing through planting, harvesting, drying, sorting, and classification.

Climate and growing conditions

Araban is located in a zone of transition from Mediterranean to continental climate. Garlic shows optimum development at temperatures of 15–20°C and humidity of 60–80% during the growing period. The growing season begins with planting in October–November and ends with harvest in May.

A critical factor is that the plant spends the winter in the soil. This winter period in the ground provides the sufficient and necessary cooling that the plant requires, directly increasing the durability and storage quality of the product. From February and March onwards, the plant enters a rapid and balanced growth period that allows it to be brought to market as an early product after the May harvest.

The Araban Plain has clay loam soils with high humus content, a pH value of 6.5–7, and a humus ratio of 7–10%. These light alluvial soils, rich in nutrients and organic matter, meet the soil requirements of Allium sativum L. and are the primary environmental driver of the product's specific characteristics. No precipitation is required during the harvest period.

Production method

Planting takes place in October and November. The land is plowed deeply once in September and once in October, followed by a surface tillage pass. Phosphorus and potassium fertilizers (8–10 kg per decare) are applied during this period. Before planting, the field is prepared using cultivator, disc harrow, or similar equipment. Garlic cloves are buried at 10–12 cm intervals, and nitrogenous fertilizers are applied subsequently at 23–25 kg per decare.

Seed cloves are selected by producers from the previous May's harvest and stored at appropriate temperature and humidity until planting time. The larger outer cloves are used for planting, at a rate of 150–200 kg of garlic heads per decare.

Harvest takes place in May. Harvested garlic is laid in the soil to dry for 5–8 days, then subjected to sorting and classification before being offered for sale. The yield on the Araban Plain ranges from 1,500 to 2,000 kg per decare. Approximately 6,000–7,000 families in the Araban region can produce 50,000–55,000 tonnes of garlic annually on 30,000 decares. Around 50–60% of production is sold immediately; the remainder is stored in cold stores near the region and sold depending on market conditions.

Classified product is divided by bulb weight: minimum 40 g, maximum 100 g; diameter 80–150 mm. Producers in the region are partners of the Araban Sarımsağı Producers Association, which provides continuous technical monitoring.

Control and certification

The Register Extract (field 5) shows a dash for Competent Control Authorities. Per the product specification (§6), verification of compliance before placing the product on the market is carried out by Gaziantep Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry (Mücahitler Street, Mareşal Fevzi Çakmak Avenue No: 102, 27060 Şehitkamil/Gaziantep), a public control authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of the Republic of Turkey. Inspections are coordinated by Araban District Governorate and conducted together with the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, Gaziantep University Araban Vocational School, and Araban Chamber of Agriculture. Inspections are carried out twice per year and on complaint.