Best Summer Vegetables to Import from Turkey

Summer is here, and with it comes an abundance of great summer vegetables ready to add some freshness to your meals. While many veggies (and fruits) are now available all year, there's nothing like biting into freshly grown corn or mixing up a salad loaded with luscious summer tomatoes. 

Summer is also an excellent season to stock up on vegetables such as cucumbers, zucchini, and beans. As seasonal food and eating, in general, are a huge part of life in Turkey, it’s not a surprise that there are a lot of summer vegetables to enjoy.

So, what are the seasonal summer vegetables you should be importing from Turkey?

Cucumber

Cucumbers are a favorite crunchy addition to salads, as well as for snacking or pickling. They are high in essential minerals, as well as plant chemicals and antioxidants that may aid in treating and preventing certain illnesses.

They are also low in calories and high in water and soluble fiber, making them great for improving hydration and weight loss.

Tomatoes

The tomato is a versatile late summer vegetable that is extensively used in international cuisines. It is delicious whether directly from the vine or when slow-cooked, and even sweet enough to be churned into ice cream. It is one of the most widely produced crops, as they are used to make a variety of products such as canned tomato paste, ketchup, pickles, and tomato juice.

Turkey is third in the world in tomato production, with about 13 million tons produced each year. It is the most widely grown vegetable in Turkey, accounting for 42 percent of total vegetable production.

Peppers

Whether they are red, green, or bell, peppers are an indispensable part of almost every cuisine. Peppers come in every shape and size you can think of, from big and delicious to microscopic and spicy. They thrive in hot conditions, so summer is the perfect time to consume them.

In 2021, Turkey exported 192,266,805 kg of pepper, earning $199,437,051. When compared to the previous year, pepper exports increased by 27% in both quantity and value. Russia, Romania, and Germany are the top three nations importing the most veggies from Turkey in both 2020 and 2021, with demand growing year after year.

Zucchini

Zucchinis fall under the “summer squash” branch of the squash family. Summer squashes, unlike their autumn and winter counterparts, are plucked when their skin is still soft and delicious. The term "summer squash" relates to the gourd's limited shelf life in comparison to hard-shelled pumpkins.

Zucchini reigns supreme in this squash family, and it's perfect for frying, sautéing, steaming, grilling, or stewing. Bags of buttery squash blossoms may be found at your local farmers' market in late spring and early summer.

Beans

Summer is built for beans – not only baked beans but also three-bean salad and breaded, deep-fried beans because nothing tastes better than taking something nutritious and turning it into something delicious. They are probably one of the most readily available vegetables at the grocery store.

Bean production in Turkey was completed on an area of 88.9 thousand hectares during the 2019/20 crop season. The Central Anatolia Region supplied 62.1 percent of Turkey's bean production with 225 thousand tons in the 2019/20 crop season.

Aubergine

Aubergines are available in a variety of forms, sizes, and colors. Whether it's milky white or pitch black, aubergine is a versatile summer vegetable that may be grilled, fried, sautéed, or baked. Although officially a fruit, aubergines with mild flavors and delicate flesh are typically utilized as vegetables.

The bulbous, glossy, deep purple zeppelin form used in Mediterranean cuisine; the compact and plump ivory-colored aubergine from the United States and Australia; and the considerably smaller variants produced in Thailand are among them. They all have a moderately smokey flavor and a spongy texture when fresh but soft when cooked.

Corn

Corn is made up of rows of densely packed golden yellow kernels that grow along with a sturdy central core. When the kernels are mature, they are delicious and juicy, and they are best cooked simply with a little butter. The natural sugars in the kernels, like peas, quickly convert to starch, making the kernels harder and less sweet, thus they should be consumed as fresh as possible.

Corn is grown in over 60 provinces in the Black Sea Region, the Mediterranean Region, the Aegean, Marmara, and Southeastern Anatolia. While maize cultivated areas in Turkey ranged from 6.6 to 5.9 million hectares from 2014 to 2018, they climbed by 8% from the previous years to 6.4 million hectares in 2019. Corn output climbed by 8.3 percent to 6.5 million tons in 2020, from 6 million tons in 2019.

Okra

Okra is a summer vegetable used in West African, Indian, and Southern cooking. Producing fuzzy and fibrous pods, okra is a key ingredient in slow-simmered stews like gumbo or gravy-like curries. 

Okra is abundant in nutrients while being low in calories. They include vitamin C, which helps with immune function. It also has a lot of vitamin K, which helps with blood clotting. Okra thrives in hot, humid areas. Turkey is one of the leading countries in producing okra.

Asparagus

Asparagus is the early shoots of a cultivated lily plant that requires a lot of work to mature. They're regarded as one of the world's treasures, with a price tag to match, and have a unique, deep savory flavor.

Turkey is one of the nations where asparagus is grown. The climatic zone in which Turkey is located is ideal for asparagus production. Muğla, Manisa, and Aydın are Turkey's most cultivated provinces. 

Fresh Summer Vegetables from Turkey

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Turkish Goods is a company that sources fruits and vegetables from Turkey's top suppliers and distributes them to wholesalers. Fresh and dried fruits, vegetables, greens, and nuts are exported in large quantities to nations all over the world.

Our extensive wholesale fruits and vegetables are provided all year, with each client receiving personalized planning of all export procedures from Turkey on an international standard. We provide the finest of Turkey directly to your doorstep.