The grape harvest season has begun in Northern Kurdistan (Bakur). Confronted with grapes burned by drought, villagers began gathering what remained of the crop to make molasses and walnut sausage.
As the weather grows colder, winter preparations have already started in the villages. Due to the economic crisis and the impact of drought, this year’s preparations are being carried out over a shorter period compared to previous years. Families living in rural areas work throughout September and October to ensure a more manageable winter.
Residents of Bağyolu village in the Hazro (Hezro) district once again made their way to their vineyards this October, as they do every year. In the past, they used the grapes they harvested to produce molasses, fruit leather and walnut sausage. This year, however, instead of abundance they were met by the harsh effects of drought. The unusually hot weather caused the grapes to darken and shrivel on the vines, resulting in a significantly reduced harvest. After spending two days working in the vineyards, villagers expressed concern that the damage may worsen next year.
Yield dropped, no fruit leather could be made
Mürvet Yıldeniz said that although the work they do is difficult, it is also valuable, and she emphasised the significant role of women’s labour in the grape harvest.
She said they prepare their cauldrons and light their fires in the vineyard every year, describing the harvest as a tradition passed down from their elders. According to Yıldeniz, they take care of the vineyard during the other months and begin gathering the grapes once the heat subsides. Yıldeniz continued: “First, we harvest the grapes and then we crush them. We boil the grape juice (şire) throughout the day. During that time, we prepare the walnuts for the walnut sausage. For both the molasses and the walnut sausage, we boil and stir the grapes for hours. After finishing the molasses, we make the walnut sausage and the fruit leather. In the past, we also made ‘kesme’ (a traditional grape concentrate), but since the yield has dropped, we can no longer make it. We spread the fruit leather on clean cloths, lay it out and leave it to dry.”
Little yield despite great effort
Yıldeniz also said, “We all work very hard, and we do it so we can get through the winter more comfortably. We are not used to buying things from outside or relying on store-bought products. We prefer to consume what we produce ourselves, and that is why the effort we put into this is worth it. We get through the winter with the molasses, fruit leather and walnut sausage we make. If we have more than we need, we share it with people around us. This work is demanding and full of effort. Those who come after us will continue this tradition. Even when our grape harvest is low, we still do not buy finished products from outside; instead, we purchase grape juice and make everything ourselves again.”
Drought burned the grapes
Alihan Kuşlu said they could no longer find the same taste in the grape harvest and drew attention to the impact of drought on all their produce. Kuşlu said that more than half of their grapes burned on the vine and continued: “We have been doing this work since the past. Unfortunately, this year half of our grapes burned because of drought and extreme heat. The grapes were left on the vine, so we could not use most of them. Especially in recent years, we have faced this situation more frequently. In the past, we would stay in the vineyards for two or three days, but it no longer has the taste it used to. When the climate changes, nature changes too. We had a lot of grapes this year, but like the other vegetables and pistachios, they all burned. We are no longer getting the yield we used to. Next year will be even worse. A solution must be found.”
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