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Turkey's Wild Black Sea

Food writer Nick Kwek visits Turkey's Black Sea region, famed for its mountainous, lush and rugged landscapes.

Food writer Nick Kwek visits Turkey's Black Sea region, famed for its mountainous, lush and rugged landscapes. During his food-inspired journey, Nick discovers how centuries-old traditions are reflected in the area's cuisine where simple ingredients are transformed into culinary masterpieces.

He ventures from the seaside city of Trabzon to Sumela monastery located 1,200 metres up from the coast. While he appreciates the scenery, he samples sütlaç topped with hazelnuts, which locals believe is the best rice pudding in the world. This part of Turkey is famous for its dairy products. Nick also discovers how important hazelnuts are to the area, and he journeys to Giresun, the hazelnut capital of the world. He meets the growers trying to safeguard production against environmental challenges and the producers who are trying to enhance the region's global reputation for high-quality nut products.

Venturing inland, Nick visits CamlΔ±hemsin, a town with a long history of honey production, and he meets the beekeepers striving to revive the area's dwindling honeybee population. Nick's culinary adventure finishes with some line fishing for a special variety of trout, and he joins a local chef at his riverside restaurant, where they prepare a wild feast using simple, locally sourced ingredients.

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22 minutes

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