Phoenicians did not have a chance to taste oranges, but today’s Finike, which was once home to the ancient civilization, is now famous for its bright sunny globes.
The oranges as we knew today arrived from China via the Portuguese in the 16th century. It took some time for the orange to become abundant and popular, but eventually they made it perfectly on home the Mediterranean shores of Anatolia.The figs of Aydın and the raisins of the Aegean region have always been native to this land, and both have been world-famous since antiquity under the name of Smyrna – a reference to the port of Izmir, their historical place of export. Few know that Turkey is the number-one hazelnut-growing country in the world – perhaps except for the tight-lipped praline and chocolate manufacturers of Europe who prefer to keep it a secret for themselves.
All these treasures have been registered with a geographical indication since 1995, but only now can we find them on the shelves of a wholesale mega-market store. geographical indication is a sign used on goods that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities, reputation or characteristics that are essentially related to a particular location or region. Most commonly, a geographical indication includes the name of the place of origin of the goods. Agricultural products typically have qualities that derive from their place of production and are influenced by specific local factors, such as climate and soil. Whether a sign is recognized as a geographical indication is a matter of national law. Geographical indications may be used for a wide variety of products, whether natural, agricultural or manufactured.