Early harvest, pricey pistachio

Pistachio is a passion for the people of Gaziantep, and the city is surely Turkey's capital of pistachios where most dishes, either savory or sweet, take their generous share of the greenest nut. The end of the summer is the period when pistachio pickers constantly check the groves for the ideal harvest time. For the greenest and sweetest pistachios that are fit for the finest baklava, the pistachio has to be picked when the nut is not fully grown, almost in its embryonic state. The early harvest season starts as early as the end of July. For fuller and riper nuts, ideally to be roasted as a snack, the harvest could be postponed through September. Depending on the heat waves, mid-August is usually considered the official pistachio harvest kick off. 

This year, the Greater Municipality of Gaziantep celebrated the pistachio harvest with top chefs of Turkey, professionals of the gastronomy sector. The inauguration of the harvest took place in the Gevence Teketaşı village, close to the Syrian border, hosted by Mayor Fatma Şahin, always a passionate promoter of Gaziantep cuisine. With Mayor Şahin's perseverance, Gaziantep has been designated as a City of Gastronomy in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and now the city is taking many actions to make its food culture internationally recognized. One way to promote gastronomy is through introducing local products to top chefs. The city has an abundant range of local produce beyond the precious pistachio.

During the breakfast panel chaired by Gökmen Sözen editor/founder of Food in Life magazine, who had been instrumental in bringing the best chefs of Turkey to Gaziantep, the topic was rightfully chosen as "Local Produce in the Gastronomy Sector." During the two-day gastronomy expedition, 180 professionals...