Sarıulak
The one Turkish variety here with a full protected-designation specification giving hard numbers — and they make an unusual pair: comparatively low oleic acid at 65–70%, alongside total phenols of 600 to 836 mg/kg.
In the grove
Sarıulak is the olive of Tarsus in Mersin province, on the eastern Mediterranean coast, with plantings across the region alongside Büyük Topak Ulak, Halhalı, Gemlik and Ayvalık. Oil content runs 18.7 to 19.6% of fruit weight, and harvest can continue through to late January. It has the lowest seed germination rate of thirteen Turkish cultivars tested, so it is a poor choice for raising seedling rootstocks.
The chemistry is the interesting part. Low oleic acid normally predicts poor keeping, while high phenols predict the opposite, and no Rancimat measurement has been published to settle which wins. That makes Sarıulak’s shelf life a genuinely open question rather than a known quantity — and one worth flagging rather than guessing at.
Compared with the other reference cultivars
| Cultivar | Origin | Typical polyphenols | Sensory profile | Best pairing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarıulak | Mersin, Türkiye | 602–836 mg/kg | Not published | Eastern Mediterranean cooking — vegetables in oil, pulses |
| Picual | Jaén, Spain | 300–700 mg/kg | Intensely green, clean bitterness, late-building pungency | Tomato salad, grilled vegetables, bread and salt |
| Coratina | Puglia, Italy | 330–410 mg/kg | Powerfully green and herbaceous, strong bitterness and pungency | Bean soups, grilled meat, bitter greens |
| Koroneiki | Messinia, Greece | Around the Greek mean; Cretan surveys 138–441 mg/kg | Green and aromatic, balanced bitterness and pungency | Greek salad, feta, grilled fish, horta |
| Arbequina | Lleida, Spain | 200–230 mg/kg | Soft, sweet entry, barely bitter, light pungency | Fish, salads, baking, mayonnaise |
| Ayvalık | Balıkesir, Türkiye | Reported 46–235 mg/kg; no stable typical value | Green and aromatic, moderate bitterness, gentle pungency | Mezze, white cheese, raw vegetables, fish |
| Memecik | Muğla, Türkiye | 296–407 mg/kg | The most bitter and pungent of the Turkish cultivars measured | Bean dishes, lamb, grilled meat, strong greens |
| Gemlik | Bursa, Türkiye | 244–491 mg/kg | Mild and approachable, delicate bitterness, low pungency | Breakfast table, soft cheese, eggs, salads |
Polyphenol figures are the ranges published for each variety, not measurements of any bottle in the library. A single oil's figure depends on when it was picked and how it was milled, and is shown on that oil's own page where the producer states one.