Before adding a new spice to our range, we always conduct thorough research. We look at where, how, and by whom it is grown. During a spice journey, we visit spice farmers to get to know their business.
Our search for chili (Pul Biber) quickly led us to Turkey. Last April, Iona traveled there. Every trip, we are amazed at how hospitably we are received.
In Turkey too, Iona was welcomed with open arms, and many stories were shared. About the history of the area, love, community support, but also about gossip and quarrels.
How we ended up in Hatay
During a FlavourFlav event, we connected with Birgül Dönmez, co-founder of the Karsu Foundation. She introduced us to farmer Hakan. He has a small-scale farm in the village of Karsu, in the Hatay region. The soil in the Hatay region is very fertile, and the green, hilly surroundings are reminiscent of Tuscany. However, sustainable agriculture is not common there.
This is partly because crops grown with pesticides and chemicals yield much more. For example, a chili plant yields twice as much in the short term than when it is grown naturally.
Hakan now often sells his products to acquaintances and family, who are willing to pay a premium because they know how he works. But this sales channel is very uncertain and does not allow for growth in revenue or investment.
Hakan knows that if his fellow farmers see that his sustainable way of farming finds a good market, other farmers will naturally come to him to ask how he does it. As soon as the first people come to ask questions, he wants to help them work towards a more sustainable business model.
That's exactly what we envision with The Good Spice. Supporting farmers who are intrinsically motivated to work more sustainably and ensuring them a living wage so they can grow. Then, good examples will follow, and more farmers from the area will naturally come forward who also want to work sustainably.
Why farmer Hakan doesn't have organic certification
Hakan's Pul Biber tastes fantastic and is grown naturally, yet he doesn't get more money in the market than his neighbors who use pesticides. For that, he would first need to be organically certified.
In principle, Hakan would like to, but it turns out to be a big undertaking. He is currently trying to arrange certification through a family member in Belgium, but this process takes years and costs more than €50,000 (!). For most small-scale farmers, this is not an option, and that is precisely why we don't want to enforce these kinds of certificates.
It's about them working in the right way, and they demonstrate this during our visits, which we verify through lab tests. We believe the money for expensive certifications can be much better invested.
Turkey, a land of disaster and resilience
On February 6, 2023, a major earthquake struck southern Turkey. In just over a minute and a half, many people lost their lives. Iona: "In every house I visited, they had lost at least two family members and close friends. Many people also lost their homes and possessions." Many people live in container homes (there are entire container camps) or even in tents.
Iona was often told that she should have come two years earlier, 'when it was still beautiful here'.
Birgül, Iona's guide and hostess said: "I think the reconstruction will take more than ten years, and true recovery a whole generation".
Moreover, the current economic situation in Turkey is not good anyway. Inflation reached 61.98 percent at the end of last year. The war in neighboring Syria also has a negative impact on the economy, as there was always vibrant trade with Syria.
In recent months, prices in southern Turkey have tripled. For a highly educated dual-income family, it is barely possible to make ends meet.
There is much anger about the limited government aid, but also an enormous resilience to pick up life again, stay positive, and make Hatay a region to be proud of again.
Although this situation made a huge impression and the collapsed buildings are still seared into her mind, the trip was also impressive in a positive way. The hospitality, the beautiful surroundings, and of course the delicious food made this trip a special experience. The resilience of the population also made a deep impression on Iona.
Home with plenty of culinary inspiration
Many new flavors and dishes were tasted. The table was usually full of fresh ingredients. Cheeses, flavorful tomatoes, sumac, and of course always a pot of fresh chili on the table. Iona was spoiled with, among other things, an extensive savory breakfast, dolmas, and yogurt soup. And, of course, many types of pul biber passed in review, the spice with which our search originally began.
Many people think that Turkey is a country where a lot of meat is eaten. In the Hatay region, they indeed have very tasty meat dishes such as 'Ali Nazik' (pieces of lamb with eggplant-yogurt), Tepshi kebabi (a kind of minced meat pancake with spices and tomato paste), and Oruk (bulgur with minced meat and walnuts), but meat is actually mainly served when there are guests or something to celebrate. At the weekday table, however, many delicious vegetable dishes are served with salads, dips, fresh cheeses, many olives, and freshly baked flatbread.
There were too many delicious dishes to mention them all, but some of Iona's favorites were zeytin eksilemesi (olive salad), katikli ekmaek (vegetarian Turkish pizza), a savory salad, and a slightly sour creamy yogurt dip. We are already looking forward to recreating these dishes with farmer Hakan's pul biber.
