Fresh Bursa Black versus drying-type Sarılop, and the story behind Aydın fig's status as Turkey's first EU-registered geographical indication.
The fig has grown in the fertile soils of Turkey's Aegean region for thousands of years, and the scale of Turkey's leadership today is hard to overstate: Turkey is the world's largest fig producer, harvesting roughly 375,000 tonnes a year (about 27.8% of world output), and its dominance is even sharper in exports — Turkish dried fig shipments reached US$419.3 million (86,629 tonnes) in a recent year, accounting for some 64.5% of global fig export value. But "fig" on an export invoice can mean two genuinely different products depending on the variety, not just a difference in ripeness. Fig reaches its peak in August with the fresh-eating Bursa Black variety, just as the drying-type Sarılop variety begins its own harvest a few weeks behind it.
Bursa Black: built for the fresh market
Bursa Black has dark purple-black skin and juicy, soft flesh, and it's grown specifically for fresh consumption rather than drying. Its short shelf life after harvest means it's suited to quick consumption or short-distance shipping rather than long-haul export, which is why it peaks in August and is gone from the fresh calendar by October.
Sarılop: the fig behind Turkey's first EU geographical indication
Sarılop, also known as Aydın fig, has yellow-green skin and a high sugar content that makes it the Aegean region's leading drying variety. Its story carries real weight in Turkish export history: Aydın İnciri (Aydın Fig), based on the Sarılop variety, became Turkey's first product ever to receive EU geographical indication registration, in 2016 — years before Taşköprü garlic followed the same path (see our Taşköprü garlic guide for that story). The designation protects the name for figs grown and dried in the Aydın region using traditional methods, the same kind of protection Parmigiano Reggiano or Champagne carry in the EU. Sarılop's harvest peaks slightly later than Bursa Black, running from August into October.
Why the harvest method differs by variety
Fresh figs like Bursa Black are hand-picked once fully ripe on the tree, generally every few days through the season, and handled carefully given how delicate ripe fresh fruit is. Drying varieties like Sarılop follow a different rhythm: fruit is left to ripen until it's ready to drop naturally, then dried in the sun, with moisture content carefully managed afterward to keep the dried fruit's storage quality high — which is exactly why a drying fig and a fresh fig, even from the same tree species, end up following two different calendars and two different supply chains.
How fig is actually sized: two very different systems
Fresh figs are graded into Extra, Class I, and Class II quality tiers and must meet a minimum diameter of 40 mm to be sold as fresh fruit; typical fresh packaging is a 2-5 kg perforated carton or a small 4-6-count tray. Dried figs use a completely different measure — a count-per-kilogram caliber system under Turkey's own TS 541 standard, running from No. 1 (Jumbo, 36-40 pieces per kg) down to No. 10 (Small, 100-140 pieces per kg), with a separate Industrial grade below Class II for fruit destined for further processing. Dried fig packaging ranges from 1-12.5 kg bulk carton boxes, sometimes with an acetate display window, down to 200-500 g vacuum or cellophane retail packs sold in Natural, Lerida, or Garland (wreath) style.
You can visit our Fig product page for full variety, caliber, and packaging detail, and see our August harvest guide for how fig fits alongside grape and melon in that month's calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Bursa Black and Sarılop fig?
Bursa Black is a fresh-eating variety with dark skin and a short shelf life suited to quick consumption; Sarılop (Aydın fig) is a yellow-green drying variety with high sugar content, grown specifically for the dried fig market.
What was Turkey's first EU-registered geographical indication product?
Aydın İnciri (Aydın Fig), based on the Sarılop variety, became Turkey's first product to receive EU geographical indication registration, in 2016.
How large a share of world fig exports does Turkey supply?
Turkish dried fig exports account for roughly 64.5% of global fig export value, from a harvest that itself represents about 27.8% of total world fig production.