Milas Ekşili Olive: a table olive lightened with lemon
Registered in 2024. The aroma of lemon and olive oil is pronounced, and the astringency of other table olives is absent. Total phenols at least 135.38 mg/100 g.
In Milas, olives go to different products at different stages of ripeness. Milas Ekşili Olive is one of them, and what distinguishes it is an addition: lemon.
The record
| Registration no | 1691 |
| Protection from | 12.08.2022 |
| Type | Geographical indication |
| Registered by | Milas Chamber of Commerce and Industry |
| Area | The Milas district of Muğla |
| Cultivar | Memecik |
What the lemon does
According to the certificate the product has a pronounced aroma formed by lemon and olive oil, and a striking colour. Compared with ripe oily olives and fully ripe pressed olives, it is lighter, through the effect of lemon acidity.
The absence of one negative is also recorded: “the astringency felt in other table types is not perceived.”
Astringency is the drying sensation left by phenolic compounds. Acid masks it; lemon here performs a technical function.
Two colours
The certificate separates them:
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Fruit to be processed | light green / pink variegated |
| Product after processing | light green / yellow variegated |
The raw material leans pink while the finished product leans yellow.
Measured values
| Criterion | Value |
|---|---|
| Fruit length | 2.3 – 2.6 cm |
| Fruit width | 0.8 – 1.2 cm |
| Stone length | 0.8 – 1.2 cm |
| Stone width | 0.8 – 1 cm |
| Fruits/kg (minimum) | 180 |
| Salt in fruit (maximum) | 3% |
| Brine pH (minimum) | 3.73 |
| Total phenols (minimum) | 135.38 mg/100 g |
| Moisture (minimum) | 71.69% |
| Oil (minimum) | 19.27% |
Capping salt at 3% stands out — table olives usually run 5-7%. Low salt, together with the acidity of lemon, completes the description of “lightness”.
Four registrations in Milas
Milas alone carries four olive registrations: Milas Olive Oil (201), Milas Oil-Cured Olive (446), Milas Ekşili Olive (1691) and Milas Çekişke Olive (1109). Four different products from one cultivar — Memecik.
Source: Turkish Patent and Trademark Office, Geographical Indication Registration Certificate No 1691 — Milas Ekşili Zeytini.
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