Pickles produced in Ankara’s Çubuk district, known locally as “green gold,” are gaining recognition in domestic and international markets, with producers offering 45 varieties and targeting 90,000 tons in sales this year.
Located in Central Anatolia, Çubuk is known for its fertile agricultural lands and has become closely associated with its traditional pickles. Produced at the Çubuk Home-Style Pickle Production Facility, the pickles are made during the summer and reach consumers mainly during the fall and winter.
While cucumber remains the most popular variety, local producers make 45 types of pickles, including cabbage, eggplant, carrot, corn, mandarin and banana.
Çubuk Mayor Baki Demirbaş said the district’s pickles received geographical indication registration from the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office in 2008, while an application has also been submitted for registration in the European Union.
“Our Çubuk pickles became a brand over time as people came to appreciate the pickles made centuries ago by our elders, mothers and aunts,” Demirbaş said, highlighting the use of locally grown ingredients as a key factor behind their distinctive flavor.
