Top Turkish Olive Oil Dishes: A Delicious Dive into Aegean Flavors
Since 4500 BC, olive oil has been an integral part of Mediterranean agriculture, trade and gastronomy. Olive has made Turkey the second-largest olive oil producer in the world. Olive oil holds a special place in Turkish cuisine, especially along the Aegean coast, where light, flavorful, and healthy dishes known as zeytinyağlı are a beloved part of everyday life. These slow-cooked, olive oil-based recipes highlight the natural flavors of vegetables, herbs, and legumes—served cool and perfect for warm days or meze spreads.
Let's discover together the importance of olive oil production and some of the most popular Turkish olive oil dishes.
The myth of the first olive tree
According to legend, the ancient Greek gods were asked to bring a gift to the lands over which they ruled. Whoever brought the most valuable gift would have the honour of naming the most important city in the Greek world. Poseidon, the god of the seas, provided the lands with fresh drinking water, while Athena, the goddess of wisdom, gave them olive trees to produce, among other things, delicious olive oil. As you might have guessed, Athena won the competition and gave her name to Athens. And so olive trees began to appear all over the Mediterranean.
Now that we've got your attention with some fun mythology, here's some more information about Turkey and olives:
The oldest olive oil plant, dating back to 600 BC, was established in Turkey, in the ancient settlement of Klazomenai in the Urla district of İzmir. If you visit Urla today, you'll see that it has developed an olive oil tradition that has merged with modern trends to produce numerous exquisite olive oil products.
Even more remarkable is the fact that Turkey's Milas oil has been awarded the European Union's Protected Geographical Indication. As in many other parts of Turkey, olive oil has long been one of the leading export products of Milas, and the history of olive oil production in the region dates back to prehistoric times. This particular type of extra virgin olive oil is easily recognised by its dark green colour.
Having received one of nature's most generous gifts, the cuisine of Anatolia includes several dishes using olive oil.
Olive oil dishes in Turkish cuisine are too numerous to count, reflecting thousands of years of experience with olives and olive oil production. Today, there's an entire classification in Turkish cuisine called 'zeytinyağlılar', which can be translated as 'olive oil dishes'.
When spring arrives in these lands, the Turkish fields begin to bloom and nature has much to offer.
Freshly harvested broad beans cooked in the region's speciality olive oil is one of the tastiest dishes you can find in the Turkish Aegean. Simply served with homemade yoghurt and fresh dill, zeytinyağlı taze bakla will leave your taste buds tingling.
Stuffed vine leaves with olive oil
Yaprak sarması, or stuffed vine leaves, is one of the most famous olive oil dishes in Turkish cuisine. Combining parts of the two most prominent products of the Turkish Aegean region - vine and olive oil - this dish is the ultimate vegan-friendly item of Turkish cuisine, as it contains no meat or animal products.
What makes the difference in yaprak sarması is the vine leaves. Although you might think that where the leaves grow doesn't necessarily make a difference, there are plenty of people who would argue otherwise! Vine leaves from the towns of Erbaa and Narince in Tokat Province are particularly famous.
One of the most popular members of Turkish food culture and a real treat for vegetarians is the dish called 'zeytinyağlı enginar' or artichokes with olive oil.
It is a dish of artichoke bottoms garnished with carrots, peas and potatoes. It can be considered a flagship of Turkish-Aegean cuisine. Artichokes have been very popular throughout Turkish history, even finding a place on the tables of the Ottoman sultans. Today, they continue to add colour to the benches of the bazaars along the Turkish Aegean coastline, appearing on stalls in the spring. They are particularly popular in the towns of Urla, Karaburun and Mordoğan in İzmir province. We also recommend that you attend the International Artichoke Festival held in Urla every spring and try this local delicacy for yourself.
Green beans with olive oil
Green beans with olive oil is a mild and tasty dish that is full of vitamins and has a whole host of health benefits. Eaten regularly, it has been shown to reduce levels of toxins, boost the immune system and reduce the risk of heart attacks. If you're a health-conscious eater and want to try some tasty Turkish cuisine, here's your chance to get on the win-win wagon. The recipe basically involves cooking fresh green beans in good quality extra virgin olive oil and serving them cold.
Pinto beans with olive oil
Zeytinyağlı barbunya, usually eaten in the summer to beat the heat, is one of the most famous olive oil dishes in Turkey. It is essentially a dish of pinto beans cooked in olive oil in a slow cooker.
Onions and tomatoes are the perfect accompaniment to the beans, and zeytinyağlı barbunya can be enjoyed as a side dish or a meze. This delicious dish is also perfect for vegetarian and vegan diets - as are many of the other olive oil dishes on this list!
Stuffed eggplants (İmam Bayıldı)
This dish has been a popular dish from the Ottoman era to the present day. The recipe is quite simple: cut the aubergine in half, scoop out the centre and add a filling of your choice. It is common to add diced onions, garlic and tomatoes.
The name of the dish means 'the imam fainted', and there is a funny legend behind the unusual name. The story goes that an imam married the daughter of an olive oil merchant, who brought 12 barrels of the best olive oil as a dowry. After the wedding, the imam's wife cooked imam bayıldı every day to please her husband, who loved it so much. One day, she cooked a different dish for dinner and when her husband asked why, she explained that she had used up all the olive oil. The Imam fainted in disbelief for he loved the dish so much!
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