25.08.2026 00:11
In Aydın Nazilli, 'fig chips,' prepared by thinly slicing fresh figs and drying them in the shade, add value for producers and sweeten tables both domestically and abroad. Nuri Duran, who started trading as a child by selling 3 sacks of dried figs in front of mosques given by his father, turned to fig chip production with a facility he established 10 years ago. Providing employment to more than 20 women, Duran processes 150-200 tons of fresh figs per season and aims to expand into Europe.
Among Turkey's European Union (EU) registered geographical indications, the 'Aydın Fig' harvest season has begun, and along with it, the production of fig chips, a flavor spreading to the world, has also started.
SWEETENING TABLES DOMESTICALLY AND ABROAD In the city, figs are produced on approximately 40 thousand hectares, yielding an average of 200 thousand tons of product per season. About 70 thousand tons of figs are dried and exported, while some are offered for sale fresh. Figs processed into "fig chips" by drying them in thin slices also sweeten tables both domestically and abroad.
SLICED THINLY WITH A KNIFE, DRIED FOR 3-4 DAYS In Nazilli, dried products called "fig chips" are prepared in small businesses and homes to sell figs at a higher price.
The production process of 'fig chips' begins with freshly collected figs from the orchards being thinly sliced with a knife. The figs are laid on special racks and left to dry in shaded areas on terraces or in home gardens, without exposure to direct sunlight. After being left for approximately 3-4 days, the figs are dried, packaged, and made ready for sale.
FINDING BUYERS AT 5-6 TIMES THE PRICE OF FRESH FIGS Many producers offer their prepared 'fig chips' for sale on social media, while others send them directly abroad. This product finds buyers at approximately 2-2.5 times the price of dried figs and 5-6 times the price of fresh figs. Through these processes, aimed at adding value to the product and providing higher income to producers, both employment and added value are generated.
HE STARTED WITH 3 SACKS OF DRIED FIGS GIVEN BY HIS FATHER Nuri Duran, a 30-year-old resident of the rural Kızıldere neighborhood in Nazilli, adds economic value by turning fresh figs from his family's fig orchards and from orchards where the finest fresh figs are grown into chips. The villagers also make the best use of their products thanks to this business.
Nuri Duran, an entrepreneur, married and father of one, stated that he learned the fig trade after selling 3 sacks of dried figs given by his father in front of mosques in Black Sea provinces during his childhood, and that he expanded the experience he gained since childhood by establishing his business 10 years ago.
EARNING INCOME BY PROCESSING 65 DIFFERENT PRODUCTS Stating that his goal is to export, Duran notes that in addition to fig chips, he earns income by processing approximately 65 different products such as dried figs, fig jam, mountain thyme, sundried tomatoes, tomato paste, olives and early harvest olive oil, chestnuts, and artichokes.
THEY DRY THEM WITHOUT EXPOSING TO SUNLIGHT The entrepreneur uses the community area in Kızıldere neighborhood's square for drying work in his spare time, and also provides job opportunities for more than 20 women. The women, who gather early in the morning and bring the fresh figs to the area around noon, slice them one by one and lay them on racks, leaving the thinly sliced figs to dry in the large area without sunlight. After being handled frequently, the figs dry within 3-4 days and are then packaged and offered for sale.
HE STARTED IN FRONT OF MOSQUES, NOW SELLS ALL OVER TURKEY Duran stated that he sold the 3 sacks of dried figs given by his father in front of mosques in Trabzon and then progressed from there to establish his own business. Continuing his story, Duran said he turned to value-added products: "Our figs are collected from the Nazilli mountains. We especially make fig chips from the fresh figs we collect on the rugged terrain. And we produce them in Nazilli, the only place in the world that supplies them. We try to provide added value as chips and fresh figs. We offer them for sale as dried figs, fresh figs, and fig chips. We bring our figs, collected in the early morning hours, to our facility, slice them thinly onto screens, and most importantly, leave them to dry without seeing sunlight. Our figs dry in 3 days. At the end of the third day, we offer our fig chips, which we package cleanly and hygienically, for sale in the domestic market. We process 150-200 tons of fresh figs per season. We only market our products domestically. Of course, as we grow, our goals include expanding to Europe and abroad."
"A SOURCE OF INCOME FOR BOTH OUR POCKETS AND THE WOMEN" Gizem Şimşek, one of the business's employees, said, "I have been doing this fig chip work for 3 years. Together with the village women, young women, and housewives, we got together and said, 'come on sisters, let's work.' We collected our figs and sorted them by size. We cut off the stems and bottom parts of the figs we collected and sliced them thinly. We dried our fig chips on racks and screens. We selected and sized the dried chips. We prepared our dried figs in this way and send off the orders of our valued customers. We supported the village women and also supported our own pockets."