Turkey, A Rising Supplier

Turkey, a growing dealer with 120 – 200 (‘000 MT) of manufacturing, is the third-biggest pistachio manufacturer after the US and Iran. Most Turkish pistachio timber thrives in Anatolia because of the favorable weather. Pistachio groves can be found everywhere in the world, alongside the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts. They spotlight the vital Turkish pistachio areas, high-yielding kinds, and the world-renowned Turkish Baklava to promote healthful pistachio manufacturing in Turkey.

Most of Turkey’s pistachio orchards are in the southeastern region, where the hot, dry summers and cold winters create the ideal climate for pistachio trees. Around 90% of all Turkish pistachios come from Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa. In Turkey, orchards are usually grown on dry hillsides with little irrigation (rain-fed agriculture). Trees start producing nuts after about 7–10 years and can live for more than 100 years.

Main Pistachio-Growing Provinces in Turkey
  • Gaziantep – the heart of production, famous for Antep fıstığı used in baklava.
  • Şanlıurfa – one of the largest cultivated areas.
  • Siirt is known for its pistachios, which are larger and slightly different in taste.
  • Adıyaman – expanding production.
  • Kahramanmaraş – contributes significantly to the total harvest.
  • Mardin, Diyarbakır, and Batman also have notable orchards.

PISTACHIO PRODUCTION IN TÜRKİYE

PISTACHIOS ARE MAINLY GROWN IN THE SOUTHEAST

Turkey Pistachio Orchards Map

TURKISH INSHELL PISTACHIO

Turkish Pistachio | SIIRT

SIIRT

  • PRIMARILY CONSUMED AS SNACKS
  • LARGER SIZE AROUND 26/28
  • LIGHTER SHELL COLOR
  • VISUALLY SIMILAR TO IRANIAN AND AMERICAN PISTACHIOS
  • 30% OF THE TOTAL CROP
Turkish Pistachio | Antep

ANTEP

  • BOTH SNACK AND INGREDIENT
  • SMALLER SIZE 32/34
  • DISTINCT KERNEL AROMA AND FLAVOUR
  •  70% OF THE TOTAL CROP

TURKISH SHELLED PISTACHIO

PISTACHIO KERNELS ARE CLASSIFIED INTO THREE MAIN TYPES, FROM GREEN TO RED, ACCORDING TO THEIR COLOR

EXTRA GREEN PISTACHIO KERNEL

Raw Boz

Turkish Pistachio Kernel | BOZ
  • Harvested the first half of August when Pistachios are still immature,
  • Has a green colour and an intense Pistachio flavor,
  • Mainly used in powder and DICED form for decoration and as an ingredient in sweets.

MAVERDI PISTACHIO KERNEL

MAVERDI - ROSE

Turkish Pistachio Kernel | Maverdi
  • Harvested in the second half of August, kernels are slightly matured.
  • It has a green colour inside and a pink colour outside.
  • Maverdi Pistachio has a unique taste and smell. Therefore, it is widely preferred in the sweet industry, such as Cakes, cookies, etc.

RED PISTACHIO KERNEL

KIRMIZI - RED

Turkish Pistachio Kernel | Kirmizi
  • The red kernel is the mature form of pistachio.
  • Harvested beginning of September.
  • It is widely preferred as a paste and pure in the ice cream sector, the chocolate industry, etc.
  • It is also used as a snack and in nut mixes.

Turkish Pistachio Products

Characteristics

Size: Turkish pistachios are usually smaller and more compact than Californian ones.

Flavor: They are famous for their rich, earthy, and slightly resinous flavor.

Color: The kernel has a deep green tone with a purplish skin, which makes it visually attractive in pastries.

Shell split: They often have a tighter shell opening than American pistachios (so sometimes harder to crack by hand).

There are desserts in Turkey that are famous worldwide.

  • Baklava

Baklava is a well-known Turkish dessert that originated in the Ottoman Empire. Most Baklava production takes place in Gaziantep, where pistachios play a key role. Gaziantep’s pistachio Baklava is famous worldwide, differing from other Turkish Baklavas that may use cinnamon and rosewater, as it focuses on pistachios, butter, and sugar syrup.

  • Pistachio Kunafa

Kunafa (Künefe in Turkey) is made from kadayıf — fragile, shredded phyllo dough. It’s layered with cheese (often unsalted stretchy cheese like Hatay cheese, mozzarella, or Akkawi). Baked until golden and crispy, then soaked with light sugar syrup (sherbet). Finally, it’s topped generously with ground Antep pistachios for color, flavor, and aroma.

TURKEY’S CROP RATES BY YEAR

Turkish Pistachio Growing

Pistachio trees in Turkey are biennial bearers (big yield one year, smaller the next). Pistachio harvesting is a big seasonal event and an important part of the agricultural economy. Farmers often celebrate the harvest with local festivals, especially in Gaziantep, which is famous for its pistachio baklava. The yield is highly dependent on rainfall and temperature — drought years reduce production significantly. Harvesting Season starts from late August to early October, depending on the variety and climate.

Harvesting Methods

Manual Harvesting (Traditional):

  • Farmers shake branches or beat them with long sticks, causing pistachios to fall onto large cloths spread under the trees.
  • Labor-intensive but still very common.

Mechanical Harvesting (Modern):

  • Vibrating machines shake the trees, dropping nuts onto collection nets or machines.
  • More efficient but not as widely used due to the smallholder structure of farms.

Pistachio growers in Turkey keep their nuts with hulls to hold best, even as extending shelf life. If pistachios had been hulled immediately after harvesting, the shell color would not have been as dark. However, to enhance pistachio exports in the coming years, they need to hull the nuts before drying them to make them appear fresher.

TURKEY’S PISTACHIO PLANTED AREA

Turkish pistachio production and export

Turkey exported 10,875 tons of pistachios to numerous nations in 2020, including the US, China, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. Turkish pistachios are usually imported from Germany. Exports of pistachios to Germany increased by sixty-three percent in 2019 to 2,064 tons.

Due to weather variations in exceptional years, Turkish pistachio output is no longer usually consistent. Pistachio manufacturing in Turkey, for example, decreased by 50% in 2017 compared to the preceding year. This changed because of a growth in rainfall during the spring. Pistachio manufacturing areas, on the other hand, grew by 25%, while new bearing timber increased by 25%, and clean fruit-bearing flowers had been planted. These adjustments seem to have an excellent effect on Turkish pistachio manufacturing in the following years.

This year, the use of pistachios as an ingredient in TURKEY has gained significant momentum. The growing popularity of Dubai chocolate has contributed to this trend. Both large and small-scale companies have launched pistachio-based products, which have found their place on store shelves.
This development has laid the groundwork for broader industrial use of pistachios in Turkey

TURKISH PISTACHIO EXPORT RATE