Grape Varieties Growing in Konya from Past to Present and the Tradition of Boiling Molasses

Cultivation of grapes in Konya dates back to ancient times. Depictions of vineyards and grapes can be observed in the stone reliefs at the İvriz location in Ereğli District and in the ancient artifacts in the Aladağ Valley. Archaeological excavations have revealed that viticulture culture in Anatolia can be traced back to around 3500 BCE. 

Since the 1980s, a National Collection has been established at the Tekirdağ Viticulture Research Institute, featuring 50 grape varieties identified as cultivated in Konya. 

In Konya region, grape molasses takes the lead in processed grape products. “Aladağ Molasses,” especially made from Aladağ grapes and widely produced in districts such as Hadim, Taşkent, Bozkır, and Güneysınır, has been an indispensable and unique flavour for the people of Anatolia for centuries.

HISTORY OF VITICULTURE IN ANATOLIA 

Turkey is located in the most favourable climate zone on the globe for viticulture. In addition to being the genetic centre of the vine, it has an extremely ancient and deep-rooted viticulture culture. The history of viticulture culture in Anatolia is quite ancient. Archaeological excavations have revealed that viticulture culture in Anatolia can be traced back to around 3500 BCE. Throughout Anatolian history, vineyards and grape varieties gained fame, and during the time of Turkish civilizations, viticulture spread from here to the entire world. 

According to archaeobotanical records, the regions where the vine was first cultivated are estimated to be the Middle East and the Aegean Region. Traces of viticulture culture are found in settlements dated to the Early Bronze Age (around the first half of the 3rd millennium BCE) in the eastern Mediterranean basin (Söylemezoğlu, 2005: 2).

Historical artifacts unearthed from archaeological excavations in different regions of Turkey feature various reliefs related to grapes, indicating the widespread viticulture culture in those areas. Important artifacts from prehistoric periods related to viticulture have been discovered in excavations conducted in every region of our country (Anonymous, 2007b).

HISTORY OF MOLASSES 

The Turkish written literature on molasses began in 1940 with a study titled “Technical Research on Grape Molasses.” Subsequent years saw continued research on the topic. Molasses is one of our traditional foods, and producing molasses from certain fruits is a unique practice in our country. While it is possible to process almost any fruit with high sugar content into molasses, the most common practice, both in the past and today, is the production of molasses from grapes (Batu, 2006). 

Molasses, developed by the Turks for food preservation, not only ensures the durability of quickly spoiling grapes and must but also contributes to meeting the need for sweetness and sugar (Sürücüoğlu & Çelik, 2003: 20). Nutritionally rich, molasses is a popular traditional food in Turkey. Molasses, a type of concentrated fruit juice obtained from various fruits such as grapes, figs, mulberries, and dried grapes, is named according to the fruit from which it is obtained (e.g., grape molasses, mulberry molasses) (Karababa & Develi Isikli, 2005: 357).

Before sugar, Turkish sweets were sweetened with honey and molasses. It was used as a sweetener in halvah (a type of sweet confection) made with figs, kavut (roasted wheat flour) in Fatih’s helvahane (sweet shop). The saying during the Seljuk period, “Add molasses to kavut if you have intelligence, it will stick together,” indicates the place of molasses in halvah making (Baysal, 1997: 118). Kavut means “wheat flour added to oil or molasses and roasted” (Sürücüoğlu & Çelik, 2003: 26). 

FROM PAST TO PRESENT: GRAPE VARIETIES AND MOLASSES PRODUCTION IN KONYA 

Konya and Karaman, especially in their mountainous regions, boast a rich potential of regional grape varieties and have a deeply rooted viticulture culture. Viticulture in Konya dates back to ancient times, with depictions of vineyards and grapes found in the rock reliefs at the Ivriz location in the Ereğli district and in the ancient artifacts in the Aladağ Valley. 

GRAPE VARIETIES 

Historically, it is known that various grape varieties were cultivated in the central and district regions of Konya. A ‘National Collection’ was established at the Tekirdağ Viticulture Research Institute in the 1980s, including 50 grape varieties identified as being grown in Konya. Some of the grape varieties cultivated or still being cultivated in Konya include Ağ (Ak) Grape, Ala İdris, White Camel’s Eye, White Female Grape, White Male Grape, Büzgülü, Çatak, Dana Gözü, Crazy White Grape, Camel’s Eye, Upright White Grape, Upright Red Grape, Dimrit White Grape, Dimrit Red, Dökülgen, Sour Black, Er Dimrit, Erkeğin Ağı (Male’s Tears), Male Dimrit, Male Grape, Early Eren Nazlı, Ese Honey, Fes Grape, Gelin Öldüren, Göğ (Sky) Grape, Göyneksiz, Haki Erce, Large Black, Business Finisher, Woman’s (Bride’s) Finger, Black Dımışkı, Red Finger, Red Grape, Kut, Nazlı, Razakı, Dense Büzgülü, Black Camel’s Eye, Black Dimrit, Black Gemre, Black Grape, Rabbit Kidney, Chicken Grape, Fox Tail, Native Black, Olive Grape, Alanya Grape, Gaziantep Grape, White Dökülgen, Çanakkale Grape, Ereğli Grape, and Ermenek Grape. In addition to the above grape varieties, Alanya Grape (Bozkır-Hadim), Gaziantep Grape (HadimGüneysınır), White Dökülgen [Akören-Güneysınır], Çanakkale Grape (Beyşehir), Ereğli Grape [Beyşehir], Ermenek Grape [Akören-Güneysınır), and Round Seedless [Akşehir-Beyşehir) grapes also grow in the region. (Kara and Beyoğlu, 1995; Kara and Beyoğlu, 1995; Ecevit et al., 1997; Kara et al., 1998) Commonly cultivated grape varieties include Alphonse Lavallée, Ata Yellow, Çavuş, Sour Black, Sky, Hamburg Muscat, Rooster Black, Italia, Muscule, Razakı, Ox Eye, Thrace Ilkeren, Yalova Pearl, Victoria.

MOLASSES PRODUCTION 

Although molasses production in Turkey dates back many years and is done in large quantities, the production technique has remained unchanged and has not been adapted to the necessary technology nationwide. Therefore, the extracted must, obtained in various ways, is heated after the addition of molasses soil, then filtered, and finally thickened over an open flame in cauldrons. The molasses obtained by this method is very clear and has a very dark colour (Batu, 1991: 80). The dark colour in molasses is due to the caramelization formation resulting from the reaction of sugars and acids with some other substances, even when the must is boiled at high temperatures in an open cauldron (Batu, 2006: 13). Molasses is produced from fresh or dried grapes, figs, mulberries, carob, as well as sugar-containing products such as apples, plums, watermelon, sugar cane, and sugar corn (Şimşek and Artık, 2002: 1).

TRADITIONAL PEKMEZ MAKING IN KONYA 

Viticulture in Konya has a history that stretches from ancient times to the present. Stone reliefs depicting vineyards and grapes in the İvriz location in Ereğli district and in ancient artifacts in the Aladağ Valley testify to this. Modern vineyard examples are found in almost every district, but most existing vineyards are reported to be old and maintain a traditional structure. The highest grape yield is listed in Hadim, Meram, Akören, Derebucak, Güneysınır, Seydişehir, Bozkır, Taşkent, Akşehir, and Ahırlı. Especially in Hadim, Bozkır, and Güneysınır districts, many villages and towns depend on vine products for their livelihood. While molasses production traditions continue in Konya city center and central districts, the production is not carried out in very high quantities. In the Konya region, the production of dried grapes made with molasses and naturally dried is at the forefront of processed grape products. 

ALADAĞ MOLASSES: A TASTE FROM JUNIPER SINCE THE ROMAN PERIOD 

The people of the region also produce “Aladağ molasses” from the fresh grapes they collect. What sets this molasses apart is that no additives are used during its production. Molasses and dried grapes made by molasses and natural drying, especially those made from Aladağ grapes, have been an indispensable unique flavour for Anatolian people for centuries.

Aladağ Molasses Production: The ‘’sour black’’ type grapes grown in Hadim district at the foothills of the Taurus Mountains in Konya are boiled with juniper wood to turn into molasses. In Hadim, grape production is also quite common. Grape reliefs in the stones found in ruins from the Roman period indicate that grape cultivation in Hadim dates back to ancient times. The Aladağ region, located at an average altitude of 1600 in the 650-meter-high Hadim, forms a microclimate area where the Mediterranean climate is experienced. Here, grapes and other products mature and are harvested earlier, similar to cherries. For centuries, the people of the region have been producing natural molasses from the delicious grapes they cultivate in Aladağ, and the grape variety called “sour black” is preferred for molasses and dried grape production. The most distinctive feature of Aladağ molasses, also known as Hadim Molasses, is that it is boiled for 5-6 hours with juniper wood. White soil from the region is mixed into the molasses in copper cauldrons to achieve the desired consistency, and it is emphasized that juniper wood adds a unique flavour to the molasses. The production of Aladağ molasses, which is not produced on a mass scale, continues, and it is still considered an important source of income.