Elazığ Orciği

Elazığ orciği is a traditional product made by dipping newly harvested local walnuts, threaded on cotton string, several times into must derived exclusively from grapes native to Elazığ Province. The product has been officially registered as a “Geographical Indication” by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office and was granted protection under Registration No. 398 on 30 November 2018.

^{Elazığ Orciği} (AA)

Elazığ orciği is a product produced using fresh grapes native to the region and local walnuts harvested in the same year. Orcik is prepared during the grape harvest season. Walnuts threaded on string are immersed several times in the must and then dried to produce the final product.

The distinctive characteristics of orciği include its exclusive production in Elazığ Province using only locally grown fresh grapes and walnuts, the boiling of the must until it reaches a thick paste consistency, the repeated immersion of the walnuts in this paste, and subsequent drying under suitable conditions. The product contains no additives, flavorings, or added sugar.

• Moisture content (maximum): 23%
• Ash content (maximum): 2.2%
• Insoluble ash in HCl (maximum): 0.3%
• pH: 5.0–5.7
• Titratable acidity (expressed as tartaric acid, maximum): 0.05%
• Walnut content (minimum): 30%

^{Elazığ Orciği (Generated by Artificial Intelligence)}

The production process consists of the following stages:

1. Walnut Preparation: Newly harvested local walnuts are cracked and divided into four pieces, then threaded onto cotton string with the concave side facing upward. The threaded walnuts are hung to dry completely.
2. Must and Paste Preparation: Grapes collected during the harvest are pressed to extract their juice. The grape juice is boiled and concentrated until its brix level reaches 70–72, then filtered. A portion is used for paste preparation.
3. Paste Boiling: A specific amount of flour (2.5 kg per 40 liters of must) is added to the filtered must to prevent clumping. The mixture is passed through a fine sieve and gradually added to the hot must in a cauldron, where it is continuously stirred and boiled.
4. Coating and Drying: The prepared walnut strings are dipped into the paste, removed, and left to dry. This process may be repeated once or twice. Drying takes several days depending on ambient temperature.
5. Cutting and Packaging: The dried orciği is cut to a length of 15–20 cm for consumption. When stored at room temperature in a dry environment, its shelf life is 7–8 months.

^{Elazığ Orciği} (AA)

Elazığ orciği is produced exclusively within Elazığ Province and its districts. Monitoring is carried out by a committee composed of representatives from the Elazığ Directorate of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, the Fırat Development Agency, and the Elazığ Chamber of Commerce and Industry, under the coordination of the Elazığ Governorship. Inspections are conducted at least three times per year. During inspections, the production materials, paste preparation, coating, drying, and labeling processes are verified. The use of added sugar, additives, or flavorings in the product is strictly prohibited.