Tarsus Sarı Ulak Olive Festival in Turkey

The Sarı Ulak olive in Turkey

The Sarı Ulak olive, a high-quality olive variety native to the Tarsus district of Mersin, is cherished by locals for its distinctive taste and versatility. Often consumed as a table olive, it also produces olive oil rich in polyphenols, molecules with a mild bitterness and a pronounced fresh-cut grass aroma. Having thrived for centuries by adapting to the unique climate of the Tarsus basin, the Sarı Ulak olive faces increasing challenges due to the intensifying effects of the climate crisis. Today, its conservation has become vital, particularly as this variety contends with the pressures of widespread cultivation of other commercially dominant but non-native olive varieties.

In recognition of its cultural and agricultural importance, the Sarı Ulak olive was granted geographical indication status in 2021, with the support of local administrations. To further safeguard this endangered variety, the Slow Food Tarsus Earth Market registered it in the Ark of Taste inventory, marking a significant step toward its preservation.

Tarsus Sarı Ulak Olive Festival

On Saturday, November 16, the inaugural Tarsus Sarı Ulak Olive Festival and the Slow Food Olive Market took place, whose aim was raising awareness about the importance of conserving and cultivating Sarı Ulak olives and promoting sustainable olive production in Turkey.

The festival featured a vibrant market that attracted significant attention from olive and olive oil producers and enthusiasts alike. Visitors enjoyed access to cracked Sarı Ulak olives, extra virgin olive oil, and local delicacies prepared with olives and olive oil, including baklava and ice cream made with Sarı Ulak olive oil.

Festival Key Features: Olives in the Age of Climate Crisis

One of the festival’s key features was the “Panel on Olives in the Age of Climate Crisis.” Alen Mevlat, a Project Evi Cooperative partner and Anatolivar Project Coordinator, introduced the Anatolivar: Empowering Olive Producing Communities in Anatolia initiative. Mevlat highlighted its anticipated outcomes, including the development of an online Olive Atlas and a nature-friendly olive producers’ guide. He emphasized the critical role of preserving traditional olive groves in the Mediterranean Basin—one of the world’s most vital biodiversity hotspots—for sustaining numerous plant and animal species, many of which are endemic or threatened. Mevlat also discussed the Slow Olive Network, which aims to protect the cultural landscape of olives across the Mediterranean. Previous Slow Olive events, held in Ayvalık in 2016 and 2018, served as a foundation for this network and inspired the creation of the Slow Food Olive Market.

Orkun Doğan, representing the Yerküre Local Studies Cooperative and an Anatolivar Project associate, presented preliminary findings from a study analyzing the impact of climate change on olive cultivation in six olive-growing regions (Marmara, North Aegean, Central Aegean, South Aegean, Mediterranean and Southeast Anatolia) of Turkey. The study, which included fieldwork in Mersin, evaluated the impacts of extreme weather events and prolonged droughts on local olive producers.

• Producers Forum: Following the panel, the Producers Forum, moderated by Yasmina Lokmanoğlu, founder of the Tarsus Slow Food Earth Market, provided a platform for Slow Food volunteers and local producers to share their experiences. Producers Zeynep Deniz Demirel Boltaç from Tarsus and Özge Gündoğdu Salih from Antakya shared their challenges in cultivating traditional olive varieties, including Sarı Ulak, Saurani, and Halhalı, in the face of recent environmental and economic pressures.
• Tasting Events and Workshops: One of the most popular segments of the festival was the olive and olive oil tasting sessions led by experts Dilşen Oktay Ertem and Yusuf Küçük at the Tarsus Gastronomy Centre. These sessions celebrated Turkey’s diverse olive heritage, with a special focus on Sarı Ulak. The tastings, accompanied by informative discussions, underscored the importance of quality production and sustainable practices.
• Significance of Local Collaboration: Events like the Tarsus Sarı Ulak Olive Festival and Slow Food Olive Market demonstrate the value of collaboration between Slow Food communities, namely Slow Food preservation of food heritage of Tarsus and Slow Food Ölmez Ağaç, Edremit Körfezi and local stakeholders in raising awareness about climate-resilient agricultural practices. Establishing the festival as a recurring tradition and organizing similar events in other olive-growing regions will contribute significantly to the preservation of local olive varieties and sustainable olive farming practices in Turkey.

The events were organized with contributions from the Tarsus Slow Food Earth Market Association and the Proje Evi Cooperative, hosted by the Mersin Metropolitan Municipality, Tarsus Municipality, Tarsus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Tarsus Commodity Exchange.