Farewell to Tobacco, Welcome to the “Red Pearl”: Pepper Harvest Begins in Salihli

The first days of September have brought harvest time for kapya peppers in Salihli’s Kemer, Poyraz and Hacıhıdır neighborhoods. The crop, introduced as an alternative to tobacco, has become one of the area’s important agricultural products in recent years.

Farmers planted the seedlings in May and June and are now picking the ripened peppers one by one. The harvested produce is being sent to markets in Salihli and nearby provinces and districts.

Locally called the “red pearl,” kapya pepper is used for paste, sauces, roasting, drying, powdered and crushed pepper, spices and pickles. Its role as a key raw material for the food industry continues to expand.

Red peppers are also a staple of Turkish cuisine. In Salihli, they are used especially heavily in traditional tarhana, and are also roasted and served at meals. As production spreads as an alternative to tobacco, the crop is providing farmers with an important source of income and standing out in regional agriculture.