The arduous journey of frik, among the geographical indication flavors of Gaziantep, which was included in the "Creative Cities Network" by UNESCO for the first time in the field of gastronomy, has begun.

Farmers in the Araban Plain, referred to as the granary of the southeast, start the uphill journey of frik by harvesting green wheat ears in late spring.

Working in the fields where the temperature sometimes reaches 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), farmers gather the ears in small piles and roast them over the fire after letting them dry for a day.

Among the traditional flavors, frik, after being roasted, is collected with combine harvesters and then taken to factories to be cleaned and packaged.

Frik, which can only be made for about 10 days a year, is among the indispensable flavors of the city with its pilaf. Frik pilaf is also among the geographical indication registered products of the city.

Not easy

Hasan Altun, the president of the Araban Chamber of Agriculture, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the frik used in pilaf is very healthy.

Stating that frik has been registered with a geographical indication and branded in Türkiye, Altun emphasized the need to support the increase in its production value.

Altun explained that since wheat is harvested while green, it is delicious. "If a farmer gets 600 kilograms (1,322.77 pounds) of wheat, he gets 300 kilograms of frik because it is harvested while green. If it's not green, it won't taste good. After the ears are gathered, workers ignite them with fire. After burning, only the ears remain. After drying, it is given to the combine and then sent to the factories. So, it's a painstaking job, not an easy one; not everyone can do it," he said.

Farmer Kasım Demir stated that making frik is laborious: "Not everyone can do this; there is a mastery to this job. If you burn it too much, half of it will be burnt; if you burn it too little, it will be raw. Therefore, those who know should do it; anyone cannot do it."