Sarı Ulak olive: characteristics, oil content and growing areas

Sarı Ulak is the table variety of the Mersin and Adana area. It has the lowest flesh ratio on the list (72%) — a large stone — and still holds its place in the eastern Mediterranean.

Sarı Ulak in numbers

Source: Efe, Soykan, Cürebal and Sönmez (2016), Zeytin Kitabı. Fields the source leaves blank are shown as "—"; nothing has been estimated.

The eastern Mediterranean's table variety

Sarı Ulak is grown mainly for the table around Adana and Mersin, with Erdemli as its centre.

Under Tarsus conditions, open-pollinated Sarı Ulak fruit averaged 4.90 g, 18.18 mm wide and 23.85 mm long. Fruit and stone weights were measured at 3.77 g / 1.06 g.

That last pair explains the 72% flesh ratio in the table: the stone makes up roughly a quarter of the fruit. For most other varieties on the list the figure sits between 11% and 19%. Sarı Ulak's stone weighs twice Gemlik's (0.53 g).

So why is it still grown?

Because flesh ratio is not the only criterion. Sarı Ulak suits the region's conditions and is embedded in local brining tradition. Genetically it shows only about 50% similarity to the Domat–Gemlik–Kilis Yağlık–Nizip Yağlık–Manzanilla group, placing it on a relatively separate branch of Türkiye's variety pool — a distinctness worth conserving.

Take care when using it as a pollinator: pollinating Domat with Sarı Ulak dropped Domat's fruit weight from 5.51 g to 3.26 g.

In short

Sarı Ulak is a table variety with a large stone but a firm regional footing. Its relative genetic distance from Türkiye's main variety pool makes it valuable for diversity. Choose it as a pollinator with care: it reduces fruit size in large-fruited varieties.