Turkish olive oil legacy introduced to international culinary world

LONDON

Türkiye’s 2,600-year-old olive oil heritage was introduced to the international gastronomy community for the first time at a special event held in London, one of the world’s culinary capitals.

The gathering brought together British journalists, food writers, chefs, public relations professionals, artists and business figures, who sampled premium extra virgin olive oils from the Urla and Milas regions while learning about Anatolia’s centuries-old olive oil tradition.

Guests tasted a range of extra virgin olive oils while exploring Anatolia’s olive-growing traditions, healthy lifestyle philosophy and rich gastronomic legacy.

The event at Zahter Restaurant was hosted by journalist, international olive oil educator and sommelier Aynur Tattersall together with British food writer, The Times contributor and olive oil sommelier Giulia Crouch.

The two experts led a professional tasting session, explaining how to evaluate high-quality extra virgin olive oil by identifying key characteristics such as fruitiness, bitterness and pungency. They emphasized that recognizing authentic extra virgin olive oil is important for both health and gastronomy.

During her presentation, Tattersall traced Türkiye’s olive oil history from the ancient olive oil workshop of Klazomenai in Urla to the international success of Milas olive oil.

Although Türkiye is among the world’s leading olive and olive oil producers, she said its premium extra virgin olive oils have yet to achieve the international recognition they deserve.

“The challenge is no longer simply producing high-quality olive oil. It is about telling the thousands-years-old story of Anatolia, its culture and its healthy way of life,” Tattersall said, adding that gastronomy has become one of the most effective tools of cultural diplomacy.

Presentations highlighted that the ancient olive oil workshop at Klazomenai in Urla, dating to the sixth century B.C., is considered one of the world’s oldest known olive oil production facilities. Its advanced pressing systems, still visible today, demonstrate Anatolia’s pioneering role in olive oil production.

The event also showcased extra virgin olive oils produced from the Memecik olive variety in the southwestern district of Milas, known for their high polyphenol content, balanced bitterness and distinctive fruitiness.

Participants were reminded that Milas olive oil became the first Turkish olive oil to receive the European Union’s Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, recognizing both its quality and the region’s long-standing production tradition.