Osmancık Kapari Turşusu (Caper Pickle)
Osmancık Kapari Turşusu is a caper pickle named after Osmancık, a district of Çorum province in north-central Turkey. Capers (known locally as gebere, kebere or gebre; Latin Capparis sp.) are pickled using the fruits and/or flower buds of the plant.
Geographical indication
Following an application by the Osmancık District Governorship (13 March 2024, file no. C2024/000106), the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office registered the pickle on 4 September 2024 as a place-of-origin indication (registration no. 1636). The certificate describes it as a pickle in the “processed fermented product” group and as one of the products particular to Çorum’s food culture. The geographical limit stated in the certificate is “Çorum province”; capers grown in Çorum, and especially in Osmancık district, are preferred for production.
How it is made
According to the production method in the certificate, the bitterness is first removed in brine. The capers are then covered with water together with vinegar, salt and, optionally, garlic, citric acid and bay leaves, and left to ferment for about a month. The sour-bitter taste of the caper parts gives the pickle its characteristic tangy flavour and aroma.
Storage and sale
The certificate says the pickle is stored in cool, odour-free, dry places out of direct sunlight, and is sold either loose or in food-safe packaging. Packaging may optionally take place outside Çorum. Inspections are coordinated by the Osmancık District Governorship and held at least once a year.
A related product
A separate application has been filed for Dodurga Kapari Turşusu in the neighbouring district of Dodurga. For all registered products of the province, see Geographical Indication Products of Çorum.
Sources
- Turkish Patent and Trademark Office, Geographical Indications Portal, Osmancık Kapari Turşusu, Registration No. 1636 (entry: https://ci.turkpatent.gov.tr/cografi-isaretler/detay/11249; certificate: https://ci.turkpatent.gov.tr/Files/GeographicalSigns/8eab8abb-7ff6-4975-8005-e8bfb61d04cb.pdf)
- İHA, “Osmancık Kapari turşusu, coğrafi işaret olarak tescillendi” (Osmancık caper pickle registered as a geographical indication), 7 September 2024. https://www.iha.com.tr/corum-haberleri/osmancik-kapari-tursusu-cografi-isaret-olarak-tescillendi-114287806
🍳 How to make it
Ingredients
- 1 kg caper-plant fruits and/or flower buds
- 3 litres water
- 500 ml vinegar (grape vinegar is generally preferred)
- 150 g coarse brining salt
- 30 g garlic (optional)
- 10 g citric acid (optional)
- 10 bay leaves (optional)
Method
- Sort and wash the capers, choosing sound, fresh ones.
- To remove the bitterness, hold the capers in 10-20 percent brine for about 1 week. Optionally boil them for about 5 minutes and let them come to room temperature.
- Put the capers, vinegar, coarse salt and, if used, citric acid, garlic and bay leaves into a food-safe container and fill it to the brim with water.
- Seal the container tightly and leave it in a cool, sunless place to ferment for about 1 month. The capers darken in colour when the pickle is ready to eat.
💡 Tips
- The water should not be very hard or chalky, and should carry no off-taste or smell.
- The registration certificate notes that skill is important in judging whether the bitterness has been removed and the boiling is sufficient.
A traditional recipe; quantities and times are approximate and vary by household.