Otur olive

Otur is one of the recorded olive varieties of the Black Sea.

Characteristics

Widespread in and around Artvin, this variety has large fruit, medium-sized stones and a high oil content. It is cold-hardy.

Where it grows

Otur is recorded in the Black Sea. The provinces growing olives in this region: Artvin, Trabzon, Sinop, Samsun, Ordu, Kastamonu, Tokat, Bartın, Rize and Zonguldak — output is concentrated in Artvin (740 t); elsewhere the scale is very small.

Regional conditions, varietal spread and output: olive growing in the Black Sea

Measured values

Otur is the largest-fruited of the three measured eastern Black Sea cultivars. The measurements were made on fruit from the Yusufeli district of Artvin across two harvest seasons.

The difference is concrete: 254 fruits to the kilogram, against 546 for Butko and 481 for Satı. One Otur fruit weighs as much as two Butko.

Its flesh ratio is also the highest of the three at 77.9%. This is where size translates into table value: as the fruit grows, the stone's share falls and the edible portion rises.

Other varieties of the region

Butko · Gölvala · Marantelli

Locally

Otur is one of the local varieties grown around Artvin. The genotypes Satı, Butko Yağlık and Görvele are recorded in the same area — the Çoruh Valley is in this respect the most variety-rich part of the Black Sea.

Olives here are confined to narrow valleys sheltered from northerly winds with a Mediterranean microclimate. More: olive growing in Artvin

Source

• Şeker, M., Gündoğdu, M. A., Gül, M. K. & Kaleci, N. (2012) — Pomological Characteristics of Local Olive Varieties at Eastern Blacksea Region, Zeytin Bilimi 3(2)
• Efe, R., Soykan, A., Cürebal, İ. & Sönmez, S. (2016) — Characteristics and Geographical Distribution of Olive Varieties Grown in Turkey, Zeytin Kitabı, pp. 37-80
• Olive map of Turkey