Gaziantep Menengiç Kahvesi

Gaziantep Menengiç Kahvesi is a protected designation of origin (PDO) coffee substitute produced from the roasted and ground seeds of terebinth trees (Pistacia terebinthus L.) growing wild in the mountainous regions of Gaziantep province in southeastern Turkey. The European Commission entered it in the Union register of geographical indications on 2 December 2024 by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2978, published in the Official Journal L series. The application was submitted by Oğuzeli Ezogelin Women's Venture Production and Management Cooperative on behalf of Gaziantep producers. The Turkish domestic GI registration was published in TÜRKPATENT Bulletin No. 93, dated 15 January 2021.

Despite its name, the product contains no coffee beans and no caffeine. The Pistacia terebinthus seeds — called menengiç or melengiç in Turkish — are roasted, then beaten or stone-ground into a paste. The paste is packaged in glass jars. Before use, it is mixed with milk or water over low heat and served traditionally in a lidded copper cup. The product has a rough, paste-like structure, a dark brown colour, and a pistachio-like aroma.

What makes it distinct

The singularity of Gaziantep Menengiç Kahvesi derives from the physicochemical properties of terebinth seeds grown specifically in Gaziantep province. The specification records the following values for the final product:

Physicochemical properties:

• Oil: 44–56%

• Water: 5–6%

• Protein: 18–20%

• Ash: 3–3.5%

• Sugar: 6–6.5%

• Fibre: 2–2.5%

The oleic acid value is in the range of 53–68%. The specification identifies the high amount of sunshine in Gaziantep — more than 200 days annually — as the factor that increases the fatty oil composition of the seeds, raising both oil content and oleic acid levels. Higher oleic acid in the raw material produces the characteristic pistachio-like aroma in the finished product.

Viscosity of the extracted product must be at least 1 cP. As a particle size specification, a maximum of 45% of the total amount should be above 20–25 µm.

Production zone

The geographical area covers all villages and towns of Gaziantep province, located in the southeast of Turkey. The province lies between 36° 28' and 38° 01' east longitudes and 36° 38' and 37° 32' north latitudes.

Terebinth trees grow wild in the mountainous parts of the province. They prefer rocky, degraded areas between 600 and 1,500 metres above sea level. The rugged terrain includes the Amanos (Nur) Mountains rising to 1,527 m in the south, and a parallel range between İslahiye district and Kilis province. Significant peaks include Dormik Mountain (1,250 m), İlkikiz Mountain (1,200 m), Gülecik Mountain (1,400 m), and Karadağ (950 m).

All stages of production — growing and harvesting of the raw material, and cleaning, washing, roasting, and grinding of the product — must take place within the defined geographical area.

Production method

The specification defines the following production stages:

1. Harvesting: When the colour of the wild menengiç fruit turns green-blue in October–November, it has reached sufficient maturity for harvest.

2. Cleaning and washing: After harvest, the fruits are washed and dried in the sun.

3. Roasting: The dried fruits are roasted until they turn brown. The roasting stage requires skilled mastery. Excessive roasting leaves a bitter taste in the fatty acid components; insufficient roasting produces undesirable aromas. Local producers in Gaziantep have developed specific expertise in achieving the correct roast level.

4. Grinding: After roasting, the fruits are beaten or ground in a stone mill machine until they reach a paste consistency.

5. Packaging: The paste is put into glass jars and labelled. An oil layer is visible on the surface of the product due to its high fat content; the product is made homogeneous by mixing before use.

Climate and human factors

Gaziantep province sits between the Mediterranean and Southeastern Anatolia regions. The average annual sunshine duration exceeds 200 days. Long daylight hours during summer increase solar radiation, raising temperatures and affecting the fatty oil composition of the terebinth seeds.

The use of terebinth seeds as a coffee substitute in the region dates to at least the 1600s. Historical accounts record that during the Baghdad Campaign of the Ottoman Empire, Sultan Murad IV rested in Gaziantep and was offered menengiç kahvesi. The product is considered a traditional speciality of Gaziantep and is used as a home remedy for colds.

Control and certification

Control is carried out by a single body named in the specification:

• Gaziantep Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry — Mücahitler Street, Mareşal Fevzi Çakmak Avenue No. 102, 27060 Şehitkamil, Gaziantep — carries out audits on origin, production method, product consistency, fatty acid values, and oleic acid values

The coordinator — Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality — maintains a list of coffee substitute producers to ensure traceability. Producers are obliged to keep traceability records covering the supplier, quantity, and origin of all raw material batches received, and the recipient, quantity, and destination of all products supplied.