Edremit Körfezi Yeşil Çizik Zeytini

Edremit Körfezi Yeşil Çizik Zeytini (Edremit Gulf Green Scratched Olive) is a table olive produced from the Edremit variety by scratching and brining olives grown in the Edremit Gulf area of Turkey. The European Commission entered it in the register of protected designations of origin on 4 December 2023, by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2714, published in Official Journal L 2023/2714. The Single Document was published in Official Journal C 280 on 9 August 2023. The application was submitted by Edremit Chamber of Commerce under reference PDO-TR-02398, with an application date of 12 April 2018. The Turkish domestic GI registration is No. 189, protected as of 18 July 2014 and registered 31 July 2015 (application C2014/047).

Product description

Edremit Körfezi Yeşil Çizik Zeytini is a green scratched table olive with a distinctive flavour profile. The taste is characterised by thyme, bitter almond, artichoke, and Aegean herbs. The bitter taste does not overpower and leaves no lingering smell. The olive flavour becomes apparent when chewed and leaves a sour taste like lemon rind. The smell of grass and thyme is discernible in the brine; the aroma is reminiscent of the scent of spring flowers.

The Edremit variety is classified as a pink scratched green olive. It is a dual-use cultivar used both for table olives and for olive oil production.

Physical and chemical specifications

The following values are taken directly from the specification and Single Document (OJ C 280/2023):

Morphological characteristics:

Parameter	Specification
Size	Medium (IOC standard)
Shape	Almost round, cylindrical
Longitudinal symmetry	Symmetrical
Widest point	Near the middle
Tip	Flat or round with no bulge
Fruit colour on tree	Green to pink
Surface colour in brine	Beige to yellow (RAL 1001–1004, 1018, 1027)
Weight per 100 fruits	355–375 g
Weight per 100 pits	43.77–63.77 g
Length in brine	11.76–13.76 mm
Width in brine	6.15–8.15 mm
Length/width ratio	1.68–1.88 mm
Pit size	14.00–15.48 mm

Brine specifications:

Parameter	Specification
Brine pH	4.0–4.2
Brine salt (NaCl)	Max. 8%
Citric acid	Max. 1.5%

The olives are harvested at maturity index values between 1 and 3 on the IOC olive maturity scale. The specification notes that the colour of the fruit skin turns to lemon yellow in the fermented product, and that the flesh and pit separate easily from each other once fermentation is complete with no fruit flesh remaining on the pit.

Possible defects (skin damage, wrinkling, presence of stalk, fungal, bacterial, or insect damage) are tolerated up to a maximum of 4%.

Production zone

The production area covers Edremit District, Havran District, Burhaniye District, Gömeç District, and Ayvalık District in Balıkesir Province, together with the specific villages of Adatepe, Ahmetçe, Babakale, Balabanlı, Bademli, Behram, Bektaş, Büyükhusun, Çamkalabak, Hüseyinfakı, Demirci, Kayalar, Paşaköy, Sazlı, Koyunevi, Kozlu, Kuruoba, Küçükkuyu, Kocaköy, Korubaşı, Tamış, Yeniçay, and Yeşilyurt, located within the borders of Ayvacık District of Çanakkale Province.

Edremit Gulf is located between 26°03' and 26°35' east longitudes and 39°14' and 39°28' north latitudes. The total surface area of Edremit Gulf is approximately 2,400 km². The agricultural area is approximately 100,000 hectares, of which approximately 75% consists of olive groves containing 9.8 million trees — 13.5% of all olive groves and 6.2% of all olive trees in Turkey.

All steps in the production process — growing, harvesting, and processing of the olives, including brining — must take place within the defined geographical area.

Climate and geographical factors

Mediterranean climate conditions prevail throughout Edremit Gulf. Kaz Mountains to the north and east reduce the negative impact of cold air masses in winter months, ensuring the Mediterranean climate persists in the area throughout the year. January is the coldest month with an average temperature of approximately 7°C — sufficient for the olive tree's cooling requirements. Average summer temperatures are around 27°C, close to the ideal for olive growth and fruit development.

The oxygen-rich, cool mountain air circulating toward sea-facing slopes (between 50 m and 250 m in height) and into the narrow, deep valleys and canyons created by rivers from Kaz Mountains encounters iodine-bearing air currents from the Aegean Sea. A similar exchange occurs between Madra Mountain and Edremit Gulf. This circulation produces olives that are distinctive in flavour, taste, and texture of fruit flesh compared to other growing regions.

Groundwater accumulates as snow falls from the mountains. As summer heat arrives and melts this snow, water reaches olive groves underground, close to the surface, creating a summer water reserve. Irrigation during this period causes the maturing olive to grow larger, develop the proper round shape characteristic of the Edremit variety, and absorb sufficient nutrients. The resulting low drought stress produces the spring-flower aroma and the thyme and grass notes discernible in the brine.

Soil in Edremit Gulf is deep with deep horizons, rich in plant nutrients, of alkaline character, and suitable for olive farming. Where soil structure and organic matter are sufficient, olive trees are nourished, kept moist, and kept cool. The less stress the trees experience, the more grass-flavoured fruit they yield.

Production method

All processes must be performed within the defined geographical area. The specification prescribes the following sequence:

1. Planting — certified Edremit variety seedlings only, planted between November and April. Irrigation is especially important before and after blooming and during pit hardening periods. 2. Harvesting — harvest must be done by hand, because the shape and appearance of the fruit is commercially critical and machines or tools can damage the olives. Olives are collected at maturity index values between 1 and 3. Harvested olives are transported to factories in boxes. 3. Sizing and sorting — size-grading and leaf separation. Olives are separated by calibre; the specification requires a calibre of between 200 and 300 per kg. Olives are sorted for quality. 4. Scratching — each olive is scratched on 2 or 3 sides, either in a scratching machine or by hand. This is the defining processing step that gives the product its name. Scratching is done in natural potable water with no chemical or heat treatment. 5. De-bittering — olives are placed in pre-prepared containers and kept for 3 weeks in water without adding salt or artificial acidifying substances, to begin removing bitterness. 6. Brining — at the end of the third week, olives are transferred to brine with a maximum of 8% salt (NaCl) and left to develop flavour. Brine containers are circulated for 20 minutes every 10 days to distribute salt evenly. 7. Fermentation — the defining characteristic of Edremit Körfezi Yeşil Çizik Zeytini production is natural fermentation with no human intervention or chemical treatment. The process continues for at least 6 months after harvest, gradually reducing bitterness while retaining some residual bitterness that confirms the freshness and authenticity of the olives. Fermentation must be monitored regularly to prevent abnormal fermentation defects (putrid, butyric, zapateria). Complete flavouring takes up to 5 months within the brining period. 8. Packaging — the resting stage is carried out carefully to ensure pit and peel separate easily. Olives are then transferred to packaging brine. Acidifying substances and/or preservatives (such as L-ascorbic acid and citric acid) may be used in packaging brine to promote and extend shelf life. The product is packaged in glass, plastic-derivative, or tin packaging in food-grade packages between 0.5 kg and 14 kg. 9. Storage — in brine in tanks in large facilities. Storage areas must be hygienic, with little sunshine and low humidity. Storage environment should be cool, dry, and protected from direct sunlight.

Human factors

Archaeological excavations at the ancient city of Adramytteion in Ören have confirmed at least 2,000 years of olive cultivation in Edremit Gulf through the discovery of Edremit type olive pits, oil lamps, and oil jugs (amphora) and oil jars (pithoi).

Documentary evidence from the Ottoman period confirms the economic importance of table olive production. A foundation certificate for Kurşunlu Mosque in Edremit dated 1492 references olive cultivation, and an edict of Yavuz Sultan Selim dated 1515 recorded a request for eight barrels of olives from Edremit for Ramadan, demonstrating that production of table olives was commercially significant in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Hand harvesting is both a cultural practice and a commercial necessity for this product: the shape and appearance of the fruit are a defining quality criterion, and mechanical harvesting would damage the surface that gives the product its visual character in brine.

Control and certification

The competent control authority listed in the EU register is the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Balıkesir Province Agriculture and Forestry Department, Pasalani Mahallesi Gaffar Okkan Caddesi, Karesi/Balıkesir (balikesir@tarim.gov.tr, +90266 246 26 70).

The Edremit Chamber of Commerce, as applicant, keeps track of producers and monitors members.

Labels must include: trade name and address or registered trademark of the company, lot number, the designation name 'Edremit Körfezi Yeşil Çizik Zeytini', net weight, and the official Edremit Körfezi Yeşil Çizik Zeytini logo.