Karadere Olive Grove

An olive grove of 1,200 trees aged 80–150 on the Gulf of Edremit. Olives are hand-picked green at the end of October and cold-pressed the same day; acidity stays below 0.3%. In the kitchen we use this oil both in the sauces of the vegetable courses and in the dark chocolate dessert.

The owner, Selma Hanım, sets aside a small 300-litre batch each year for Sırça Mutfak alone; the bottle label shows the harvest date and tree plot.

Place in the kitchen

This oil is used in the sauces of the vegetable courses, at bread service and in the dark chocolate dessert. The bottle label carries the harvest date; the oil is stored in light-protected stainless tanks and used within 12 months.

Yield per tree is kept low because Selma Hanım prefers not to overload the branches. This choice shrinks the harvest but noticeably concentrates the aroma of the oil.