Dried nuts and fruits are a staple of Turkish get-togethers and daily life. They are produced by drying or roasting nuts, fruits, or seeds under direct sunlight or with added sugar, salt, and spices for flavor. In addition to their delicious taste and aroma, nuts are also beneficial for heart health due to their high content of unsaturated fatty acids. Türkiye has a favorable climate for many fruit species and is among the world's leading producers of dried nuts, exporting them to nearly 70 countries. The main types of nuts consumed in Türkiye include sunflower seeds, peanuts, roasted chickpeas, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, walnuts, corn, and pumpkin seeds. In this blog, we will take a closer look at some of the most popular dried nuts and fruits in Türkiye.
Hazelnut:
Hazelnuts were first produced 2,300 years ago on the Black Sea coast in the north of Türkiye. Türkiye realizes 75% of the world's hazelnut production and 70-75% of its exports. Hazelnut production is more common in cities in the Black Sea region, such as Ordu, Giresun, and Trabzon. Hazelnuts are widely cultivated in the world and are one of the hard-shelled fruits.
Pistachio:
The homeland of the pistachio tree is the Middle East and Central Asia. Pistachios were consumed as far back as around 6,750 B.C. Turkish pistachios are famous for their color and taste and are widely used as a salty snack, in ice cream, pastry, and chocolate industries.
Almond:
Almond cultivation has an important place in the world's shell fruit production. Almond was first grown in Iran, Türkiye, Syria, and Palestine, and from there, it was taken to Greece, North Africa, Italy, and Spain, and later to North America. There are two types of almond seeds, sweet and bitter. Edible sweet almond seeds are used in the preparation of various foods, in the production of almond oil and almond flour, and are consumed as a snack. Bitter almonds are poisonous because they contain cyanide and are used as additives and fragrances in the cosmetic industry.
Roasted chickpeas:
Roasted chickpeas are a popular kind of dried nut produced by roasting chickpeas. The most well-known types are white roasted chickpeas and yellow roasted chickpeas. The first registered roasted chickpea is from Çorum, although the first roasted chickpea was made in Tavşanlı. Different kinds of roasted chickpeas have also recently entered the discussions and menus.
Sunflower seeds:
Sunflower seeds are the fruits of sunflower plants and are widely used in oil production due to their high oil content. As a snack, they can be served to consumers in lightly roasted form, with salty, unsalted, peppery, or all kinds of sauces. Bakery products made with sunflower seeds are also available.
Dried apricots:
Malatya is home to the most apricot production in Türkiye, with 8 million apricot trees. As such, Malatya is also called "the apricot capital of the world." In addition, Malatya's apricots have a geographical registration by the European Union.
Raisins:
The Aegean region comes first in producing grapes and dried grapes in Türkiye. More than 50% of the country's output is met from this region, with Manisa province alone meeting 90% of Türkiye's dried grape production. China and Türkiye are the two leading grape producers in the world.
