Started to produce turnip juice in 2017 in Cukurova region under the original name of the area, Kilikya Turnip is now exporting to 30 countries. Selahattin Nas, chairman of the Kilikya Turnip company, aims to increase the share of export up to 50 percent in a short period. He informed about his position and the development of his company.
First of all, we want to learn about what the use of turnip juice and how it is prepared?
Earlier it was made at homes in barrels and has a special taste. Nowadays, it is produced in modern machinery at the same taste.
Farmed at natural lands, purple carrots come to the facility. After they are washed and separated, they are chopped and send to fermentation tanks. Bulgur and salt are added and left for maturation for about 45 days. Controls are carried out and then they are flavored either by hot or spicy ingredients and that filled in bottles on automatic bottling lines. Then they are packaged and delivered to stores.
Şalgam (turnip) regenerates the body cells and helps to digestion. It improves immune system, helps to lose weight. Contains milky acids, phosphor, calcium and potassium. It seduces, is good for teeth, bones, skin, heart, kidneys, stomach, liver and lungs. It is anti-tocsin and contains A, B, C vitamins.
How did your brand’s story start?
My grandfather was grown, lived and died as a farmer in Akcali village, having large lands selling their produce at local market. One of his eight children, my father Mehmet Nas opened his first business fro trading cottons, wools, and grains an Iskenderun. When he is old enough he handed the business to us in 1988. We have been in trade since our grandfather’s time.
You have to believe in your aims fully if you want to reach them. As the second generation we tried to adopt the changing conditions in business and in the city. In about a decade later we have become a great wholesaler in food trade. We have been official distributors of many famous brands in the city, and changed the name of company as Nas Food company, and Sefa Nas distribution company was established in Adana in 1999.
Soon, we reach annual sales figures of 60 million TL in both cities and through both companies.
How did the turnip production start?
Building a brand is costly especially in food businesses where trust and quality are more important. It requires power of promotion. However, we started to produce şalgam, one of the traditional tastes of Adana and the region, in our integrated facility of 500 sqm. and launched it in modern bottle. Then we moved to the new plant we built on 15 thousand sqm. land in Adana Haci Sabanci Organized Industrial Zone. An investment of about 8 million dollars, the factory can now produce 3 million liter of şalgam per month.
We consider first to process milk. Afterwards we decided to produce a local product and to expand its market in Turkey. We want to introduce it to world markets as well as an indispensable offering for meals and tables. The growth we have been experiencing is a good sign of our success.
We have necessary certificates and standards for our product and production processes.
What is your position in domestic and foreign markets?
We have about 15 % share in domestic market and our product is sold on the shelves of national and international retailers. We follow the developments in markets in the fairs, both in Turkey and abroad. We try to make şalgam to be considered as a national drink. Kilikya brand products are sold through 110 distributors and exported to 30 countries, including European, middle eastern countries, the USA, England, Japan, China and others.
What is şalgam?
Wikipedia defines şalgam as a popular beverage from southern Turkey’s cities of Adana and Mersin. Although the Turkish word şalgam literally means “turnip”, şalgam is actually made with the juice of red carrot pickles, salted, spiced, and flavored with aromatic turnip fermented in barrels with the addition of ground bulgur. It is traditionally served cold in large glasses with long slices of pickled carrots, called tane (or in some accents, dene.) Hot paprika relish is added just before drinking. Hot or regular, it is a popular drink with Adana kebab.
