25. Komili Olive Harvest Held in Ayvalık

Blending the culture created by olive oil, a miraculous gift from nature to humanity, with the motto "May Olives and Olive Oil Live On for Generations," the Komili Olive Harvest, a tradition in these lands, was inaugurated this year by master artists Erkan Can and Güven Kıraç . Throughout the harvest, author and chef Ömür Akkor provided guests with a unique experience by explaining and tasting the connection between olive oil and magnificent dishes.

The harvest feast, prepared as the olives were picked from the branches, was marked by keşkek, an indispensable dish of Balıkesir's culinary culture, pounded by Ömür Akkor and the guests and prepared over a wood fire. Following a folklore performance that enlivened the harvest area with regional dances from the Aegean region, the harvested olives were taken to the pressing facility to be transformed into olive oil and then bottled. The harvest dinner menu, designed by Ömür Akkor, was prepared by the region's renowned chef Ekrem Yanbolluoğlu and his team using olive oil from the Northern Aegean and local products.

On the second day of the harvest program, a visit was made to an 1105-year-old monumental olive tree, registered and protected under Komili's "May It Live for Generations" Monumental Tree Project. Nutrition & Diet Specialist and Sustainable Living Activist Dilara Koçak spoke under the shade of the 1105-year-old Koca Delice olive tree, highlighting the value and importance of monumental olive trees for humanity and the significance of good quality olive oil in nutrition.

Bunge Gıda Turkey Country Leader Turgut Yegenaga In his speech for the 25th Komili Olive Harvest, he said, “The place of Ayvalık for olive oil, which has such a deep-rooted history in Anatolia, is indisputable today. Because for the real olive oil to emerge, an infinite number of possibilities must come together perfectly. The olive oil here gets its taste from the fertile lands of Ayvalık, the sea, the sun and the wind of the Kaz Mountains. We consider ourselves lucky to have this cultural value, these magnificent olive trees. We expect the olive oil harvest, which was 240 thousand tons last year, to be the highest of the last five years this year. As Komili Family, we are very happy as we had a more productive year than last year. These data increase with climatic conditions and maintenance work. We continue to work intensively in cooperation with our farmers engaged in olive cultivation," he said.

Explaining the projects they have carried out with the aim of keeping olive oil and its culture alive for generations, especially sustainability, and explaining that they have combed 25 million olive trees to date, Turgut Yeğinağa said; “Within the scope of our Memorial Tree project, which we carried out with the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, we are recording old trees. Within the scope of our project, which started in 2018, we have a total of 310 trees in Balikesir Ayvalık and Manisa, some of which have been registered and some of which are still in process. By law, olive trees cannot be cut, but unfortunately, they can be removed and replaced. Within the scope of our project, after the monumental trees are registered, their places cannot be changed, so they are also taken under protection. For this reason, the project is of great importance for us in terms of the continuity of the culture and its transfer to future generations. We, as Komili, want to map Turkey's monumental olive tree. For this reason, the target of our project now is the whole of Turkey.

Olive oil represents a very important cultural value for these lands, which is compatible with our society. Olive cultivation for the first time BC. We know that it started in Anatolia in 4000 BC and spread to other countries of the Mediterranean from here. According to many scientific literatures, the olive tree, which is a typical Mediterranean plant, is believed to be the homeland of the Anatolian Mardin, Kahramanmaraş and Hatay triangle. As Komili, we aim to scientifically prove how many thousands of years olive oil has been in these lands, by supporting it with archaeological findings. Our project, which will enter the scientific literature and is a very valuable work in the international arena, continues uninterruptedly with the work of our very valuable academicians.

“At our harvest, which we held for the 25th time this year, Dilara Koçak and Ömür Akkor spoke about the aspects of taste and sustainability, while our artist friends Erkan Can and Güven Kıraç were with us, sharing their valuable insights. Our chefs Danilo Zanna, Türev Uludağ , and Burak Zafer Sırmaçekici were also with us, supporting us and our project. Furthermore, this year, our professors from the Monumental Tree project and, of course, leading figures in archaeology who have been with us in our search for the history of olive oil culture in these lands, also joined us. I would like to thank all the friends and olive oil enthusiasts who participated in the harvest and for all their support to us and our project,” he said.

About Komili

Komili, one of Turkey's oldest brands, began its journey in 1878 in the village of Komi on Lesbos Island and has continued its operations in Anatolia since 1923. Joining the Bunge Foods group in 2017, Komili maintains its leadership in the olive oil sector. Obtaining its olive oil primarily from the best olives of the Aegean region, including Ayvalık and the Gulf area, Komili leverages its long-standing experience, knowledge, and expertise, along with its production technology, carefully selected varieties based on consumer preferences, and meticulous quality criteria, to deliver its high-quality olive oil to consumers. Komili also works to increase awareness of olive oil, educate producers, improve efficiency, reduce costs, and boost consumption.

Source: HORECA Trend and Bunge Food