Sirnak Dergul Tahini Product Description and Distinctive Features: Şırnak Dergul Tahini is a traditional tahini made in Kumçatı Village of the Central District in Şırnak province. The production process involves harvesting sesame plants, drying them, removing the bran and husk, drying them again, roasting in a stone pit, and finally grinding with a stone mill. A water-powered mill is utilized in making Şırnak Dergul Tahini. This mill operates at a rotation speed between 250-300 revolutions per minute. Unlike electric mills, which rotate faster and create friction heat that can cause a slight burnt flavor in the tahini, water mills are preferred to maintain quality. The grinding stones for these water mills are crafted from local rock, and mill masters carefully grind the surfaces to ensure they are safe and suitable for food contact. During the production of Şırnak Dergul Tahini, the sesame seeds are roasted in a specially crafted, fireplace-like pit designed for this purpose. Since no additives or sweeteners are used in making Şırnak Dergul Tahini, and it is produced by grinding lightly roasted sesame seeds without the bran, the tahini retains its natural sesame aroma. Its color is a slightly darker off-white compared to the pale shade of raw sesame seeds, as the seeds are ground after they turn a light yellow. The texture is smooth and uniform. Unlike other tahinis where oil often separates and accumulates on the surface or sticks to the bottom of the jar, the oil in Şırnak Dergul Tahini is evenly blended throughout, with no sediment forming at the bottom. Şırnak Dergul Tahini has a deep-rooted history within its geographical region. The original name of Kumçatı Village was Dergul. A river flowing through this area made it possible to build numerous water mills powered by water energy. There are three historic water mills within the region. During the tahini production season, work continues nonstop in four shifts, 24 hours a day. Each water mill can produce between 10-15 kg of tahini per hour. The production of Şırnak Dergul Tahini involves unique techniques specific to the region, especially in roasting and grinding sesame seeds, requiring skilled craftsmanship. For these reasons, it is closely tied to its geographical origin. Production Method: In the production of Şırnak Dergul Tahini, sesame plants cultivated in Kumçatı Village are utilized. The soil in which these plants grow is alluvial. Harvesting of sesame within this geographical area takes place during the planting month. The harvested plants, cut close to the ground, are stacked with their heads facing upward on a cloth and left to dry for 4-7 days, depending on weather conditions. Once the fruit capsules of the dried sesame open, the branches are inverted and shaken over a clean cloth to release the seeds. These seeds are then sun-dried for 3-6 hours. To remove coarse debris and allow air circulation, the seeds are sifted against the wind using a sieve with 3-4 mm openings, typically made from animal skin or intestines, or wire mesh with similar pore size. Afterwards, the sesame seeds are filtered through a 2 mm wire mesh and soaked in a cloth sack or container filled with room temperature water for 8-12 hours to help separate the husks and bran. The softened seeds are placed on a clean cloth, pounded with pestles while still moist, and rinsed with water. The husk-free seeds are then spread out on a clean cloth to dry in the sun for 1-2 days. After the sesame seeds have completely dried, they are transferred to a roasting pit designed specifically for this geographical region. This roasting pit is constructed with stones on three sides, and topped with a fire-resistant stone or granite slab sourced from local rocks. The slab measures approximately 50-60 cm in width, 60-70 cm in length, and 2-5 cm in thickness. To prevent the sesame seeds from spilling, a border made of mud is built around the edge of the stone slab. This mud border is reinforced with a mixture of straw and 200-300 grams of rock salt to prevent cracking or breaking from the heat. The border is roughly 10 cm thick and wide, with the front side left open like a groove. No border is created on the front side to allow the roasted sesame seeds to be slid off easily into a container. Beneath the roasting pit, oak wood is preferably used to maintain a steady and long-lasting fire. When the stone slab reaches the required temperature, approximately 1 kg of dried sesame seeds is spread on it. The seeds are continuously stirred in all directions—back and forth, left and right—for about 5-10 minutes until they achieve a yellowish hue, just before turning brown. Reaching the ideal color and texture—a slightly shiny surface, a yellowish off-white shade, and a subtle gloss compared to raw sesame—demands considerable expertise. Once the sesame attains this perfect stage, it is carefully slid off the edge of the stone slab into the groove using a cloth. Salt is added to the roasted sesame in the container below the groove, roughly 2 grams per 1 kg of sesame, and immediately transferred into the reservoir of a working water mill, which is kept hotter for processing. The grinding process begins in the stone mill, operating at a rotation speed of 250-300 revolutions per minute. The flow of sesame seeds between the millstones is controlled by a stone weight connected to the mill’s mechanism with a string, allowing for precise adjustment. The quantity of sesame fed into the reservoir is regulated based on the millstone’s speed. The mill can grind 10-15 kg of sesame per hour. The oil content of the raw sesame seeds ranges between 59.25% and 60.75%, while the roasted sesame seeds have an oil content of 57.65% to 58.50%. The final tahini product contains an oil percentage of approximately 55.50% to 56.30%.