The Effect of Region and Olive Processing Methods on the Sensory Properties
of Gemlik Type Black Table Olives

Cansu Demir¹, Ozan Gürbüz²

¹Department of Food Technologies, Olive Research Institute, Izmir, Turkiye
²Bursa Uludağ University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Food Engineering, Bursa, Turkiye

Keywords: gemlik, olive, sensory analysis, olive processing methods.

 Abstract: Gemlik variety is one of the olive varieties of economic importance in our country and is used in olive oil production, especially table olives. This variety has thin skin and sticky flesh, thicker flesh, small seeds, and is aromatic. Additionally, it is highly aromatic, making it a high-quality table olive.
Black table olives can be made from any type of olive. However, a higher quality product is obtained from the "Gemlik variety" olives, which are shiny dark black in color, fleshy, have small seeds and thin skin, and are grown intensively in the Gemlik, Iznik, Mudanya and Orhangazi districts of Bursa.
In this study, the sensory properties of Gemlik olives obtained from Akhisar, Erdek, Iznik, Gemlik, Orhangazi, and Mudanya regions were processed with traditional and Spanish olive processing methods, and the olives ready for consumption in the market and in local producer pools were tested. Thus, the effect of regions and olive processing methods on the sensory characteristics of olives was determined.