Çağlayancerit Cevizi

Çağlayancerit Cevizi is a walnut (Juglans regia L.) produced exclusively within the Çağlayancerit district of Kahramanmaraş province in the Mediterranean region of Turkey. The European Commission entered it in the register of protected designations of origin on 13 June 2023, by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1151, published in Official Journal L 152. The Single Document was published in Official Journal C 65 on 22 February 2023 under EU No: PDO-TR-02608 with an EC application date of 18 May 2020. The application was submitted by Çağlayancerit Chamber of Agriculture (Çağlayancerit Ziraat Odası) on behalf of the Çağlayancerit Cevizi producers professional committee group. The Turkish national GI registration was granted in 2012.

Çağlayancerit is referred to locally as a "walnut garden of the city." The livelihood of 80 percent of the district's population depends on walnut production, and walnut trees between 400 and 500 years old stand as testament to the depth of the cultivation tradition. The local word for walnut is koz — a term specific to the region used alongside the standard Turkish word ceviz.

What makes it distinct

The defining characteristics of Çağlayancerit Cevizi are its very high internal fullness rate (around 99%), its thin shell (1.00–1.10 mm), its ability to be removed from the shell entirely in one or two pieces, and its flavour profile of very low bitterness, medium sweetness, and strong oily aroma with a light yellow (white) kernel colour. The shell is bright and the shape symmetrical oval.

Comparison with domestic and foreign walnut varieties confirms the kernel rate advantage. Çağlayancerit Cevizi achieves a kernel rate of 53–54% — higher than Franquette (44.46%), Pedro (43.68%), and Chandler (49.02%), and comparable with the domestic Kaman-1 variety but with a heavier absolute kernel weight of 8–9g versus Kaman-1's 6.30g.

The combination of altitude (central district altitude 1,150m), the cool and dry westerly winds along the valley, a groundwater level of 2.5–3 metres, and loose alluvial soil produces conditions where the walnuts do not darken — a critical quality attribute — and where diseases common to other walnut varieties, including anthracnose and inner worm, do not appear. Chemical pesticides are not used in production.

Physical and chemical specifications

The following values are taken directly from the EU Single Document (OJ C 65, 22.2.2023) and the product specification (Ares(2022)8134023):

Physical characteristics:

• Shelled fruit weight: 16 g

• Kernel weight: 8–9 g

• Kernel rate: 53–54%

• Shell thickness: 1.00–1.10 mm

• Kernel colour: Light yellow (white)

• Shape: Symmetrical oval; full-bodied with bright crust

• Width: approximately 33–35 mm

• Length: 40–44 mm

• Crown circumference: 15–20 m (flat crown structure)

Chemical characteristics (per 100 g kernel):

• Linoleic acid (C18:2n6c): 55.65% avg (50.00–60.00%)

• Oleic acid (C18:1n9c): 23.68% avg (20.00–29.00%)

• Linolenic acid (C18:3n3): 10.92% avg (9.00–12.00%)

• Palmitic acid (C16:0): 6.40% avg (5.00–7.00%)

• Stearic acid (C18:0): 2.88% avg (2.50–3.30%)

Organoleptic characteristics: Full-bodied with bright crust; symmetrical oval shape; light yellow kernel with medium crunch and medium thickness pellicle; very low bitterness, medium sweetness, strong oily aroma.

Production zone

The geographical area is precisely defined as: Çağlayancerit Central District, Boylu Village, Bölükdamlar Village, Emiruşağı Village, Kale Village, Küçükcerit Village, Soğukpınar Village, Oruçpınar Village, Zeynep Uşağı Village, Küçükünült Village, Bozlar and Helete Town. The coordinates for Çağlayancerit are 37°45′0.5904″N, 37°17′35.5524″E. The district is bounded by Nurhak to the north, Gölbaşı to the east, Pazarcık to the south, and Kahramanmaraş city centre to the west.

All steps in the production process must take place within the defined geographical area.

Climate and geographical factors

Çağlayancerit sits at a central altitude of 1,150m and experiences a transitional climate between the Mediterranean and continental systems. The district does not receive direct winter sun but receives spring sun from April onward, causing walnuts to break dormancy late and avoid damage from late spring frosts.

The cool and dry westerly winds along the valley maintain a moisture balance suited to walnut. Walnuts tolerate down to −20°C in winter; in the Çağlayancerit zone, temperatures stay below +7°C for 2–3 weeks in winter (sufficient chilling requirement) and do not exceed 35°C in summer. Temperature values do not drop sharply or suddenly, providing stable growing conditions.

The soil is loose alluvial with a groundwater level of 2.5–3m — deep enough not to hold excess water at the surface, yet accessible to the taproot system that characterises the variety. At altitudes of 1,000–1,500m with these conditions, walnuts do not darken — a quality attribute directly tied to the geographical zone. Studies by the provincial directorate of agriculture confirmed that higher-altitude walnuts develop thicker green shell, which feeds the kernel more intensely, producing a fuller, oilier, and more aromatic result. The grafting success rate in the district is 95%, attributable to the suitability of the zone's conditions.

Widespread beekeeping in the district provides high-quality pollination during the flowering period (April–May), contributing to the fruit set rate and the high internal fullness that characterises the variety.

Production method

Propagation and establishment: Walnut orchards are established using seedlings grafted from known native Çağlayancerit walnuts. Trees are planted at 10m × 10m spacing — wider than other walnut varieties — which reduces tree stress, supports fruit quality, and limits disease and pest pressure. Grafted trees begin yielding at six years; economic maturity is reached at 10–12 years, at which point each tree yields 1,500–2,000 walnuts (60–65 kg per tree).

Orchard management: Irrigation is managed throughout the growing season, with watering suspended 15–20 days before harvest — if watering continues close to harvest, the kernel interior turns red and quality is lost. The district receives approximately 1,000mm of annual rainfall in wetter years; in drier years supplemental irrigation is required.

Harvest: Harvest runs from 10 September to 1 October; optimal timing is 15–30 September. The ripeness indicator is the browning of the package tissue between the kernel and hard shell. Traditionally, harvest is done manually by beating branches with 4–5m long sticks, with women and children collecting from the ground. Mechanical shakers (cable, eccentric, pneumatic) are also used. Green shell separation is preferably done by hand to preserve internal quality; mechanical peeling can introduce moisture and cause fruit breakage.

Drying: Hulled walnuts are dried at 32–43°C. Below this range, drying time is extended and the product retains moisture; above it, walnuts blacken and shelf life shortens. Target moisture content is 8% for shell-on storage and 5% for in-shell cracking. In dry sunny conditions drying takes 3–4 days; in humid or overcast conditions, 7–8 days. No chemical methods are used in peeling or drying.

Marketing: Çağlayancerit Cevizi is sold with or without shell, in dried form. A distinctive local practice is that walnuts have historically been sold by forward agreement while still on the branch, before storage — a practice that signals consistent demand and confirmed quality.

Control and certification

The Register Extract lists no competent control authority (field 5 is a dash). Per the product specification, the inspection authority consists of one representative each from: Çağlayancerit Chamber of Agriculture (Fatih Mahallesi, Halk Caddesi No: 15, Çağlayancerit/Kahramanmaraş 46100; caglayancerit@tzob.org.tr), Çağlayancerit Municipality (Fatih Mahallesi, Atatürk Caddesi No: 15; caglayancerit@caglayancerit.bel.tr), and Çağlayancerit District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry (Fatih Mahallesi, Atatürk Caddesi No: 97; kaymakamlik@caglayancerit.gov.tr). Inspections are conducted annually, on an ad hoc basis when needed, and upon complaint.

The Çağlayancerit Cevizcilik Agricultural Development Cooperative, established in 2019, has brought together 1,500 farmers and all producers in the district. Sensory evaluation uses Flavour Profile Analysis (FPA) technique to verify organoleptic conformity with the specification.