İslahiye Pepper

İslahiye pepper, a variety of Capsicum annuum L. with moderate spiciness, is grown in the İslahiye and Nurdağı districts of Gaziantep province, Türkiye. Green when fresh, it turns a vibrant flag-red shade when ripe. Registered as a designation of origin on January 5, 2022, under the Industrial Property Law No. 6769, the registration was carried out by the Gaziantep Commodity Exchange.

Geographical Boundary and Climatic Factors

İslahiye pepper is cultivated exclusively within the İslahiye and Nurdağı districts of Gaziantep, spanning from the Amanos and Nurdağı mountains in the north to the Syrian border in the south. The region’s warm and temperate climate, free of frost in April and May, provides an ideal environment for pepper growth. The Amanos Mountains’ wind direction and speed help remove humid air, protecting the plant from moisture-related spoilage and contributing to its distinctive quality.

The pepper is consumed both fresh and dried. Its dried form is used in the production of isot, spicy flake pepper and spicy ground pepper. Nutritional values vary between its fresh and dried forms.

Production Process

Seeds are obtained from peppers dried in the previous season and sown in March. They are watered morning and evening until germination by late April. Seedlings form in early May and are transplanted in the second week of May. Irrigation and weed control continue until early August.

Harvesting begins in mid-August and continues through late October in four stages. The first two harvests are naturally sun-dried, while the last two use drying machines due to seasonal conditions. Drying adheres to the Turkish Food Codex Spice Regulation, using platforms that avoid direct soil contact.

Processing Techniques

• Isot Production: Ripe peppers are separated from stems and seeds, sliced and processed in four stages: pre-drying, sweating in bags, final drying and grinding. Tempering and kepertme processes reduce moisture content, followed by the addition of oil and salt to produce the final product.
• Spicy Flake Pepper Production: Peppers are washed, sorted, chopped and dried naturally in two stages to reduce moisture to 15%. They are ground into 1–3 mm flakes.
• Spicy Ground Pepper Production: Peppers are de-stemmed, seeded, dried and ground into a fine powder. When naturally dried, the powder is further sun-dried to darken the color. Once it reaches a flag-red shade, olive oil is added before packaging.

Inspection and Protection

Inspections are coordinated by the Gaziantep Commodity Exchange, with experts from the Gaziantep Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry and the İslahiye Chamber of Agriculture. Conducted at least once a year, inspections may include laboratory analysis of samples. They verify the cultivation location, physical characteristics, production method and usage compliance. The registering institution is authorized to pursue legal actions.