A romaine lettuce supplier in Turkey will offer the product under a name most foreign buyers have not met: Yedikule. Hatipoğlu Tarım, an exporter of fresh fruit and vegetables based in Antalya since 2002, ships this lettuce in every month of the year. This guide explains to importers, wholesalers and retail buyers what the Turkish name means, how the heads are trimmed, cooled and packed upright, which research data apply to romaine, and how to ask for a quotation.
Yedikule lettuce: the Turkish name for a romaine type
Yedikule lettuce is an upright lettuce with long leaves, which places it in the romaine group, also called cos. Yedikule is the Turkish variety name; in type it is a romaine, so a buyer searching for romaine may meet it under this name in offers from Turkey. The company’s product page describes it by its upright habit, crisp ribs and full leaves, and notes that it is a preferred lettuce in traditional Turkish cooking. Other types are covered in the guides to iceberg lettuce and Lollo Rosso.
Cos lettuce from Turkey: year-round from the coast
The lettuce is grown in coastal production areas throughout the year, and the product calendar shows all twelve months. Cos lettuce from Turkey is therefore listed for every month of the year. For the calendar of other products, see the season overview.
Trimmed butt, fast cooling
After harvest the butt end of each head is cleaned and the lettuce is cooled rapidly. Selection is made on head structure, leaf integrity and freshness.
For romaine, UC Davis describes good quality as bright to dark green leaves once the outer leaves are off, crisp and turgid, without insects, decay or mechanical damage. On the list of cooling methods in its fact sheet are vacuum cooling, hydro-vacuum cooling and hydrocooling, while forced-air cooling is described as slower and as causing a higher loss of moisture.
Why the heads stand upright in the crate
For romaine lettuce wholesale, the packing method is the point to ask about. Yedikule heads are placed upright in the crate. The reason is mechanical: standing, the weight is spread evenly over the crisp ribs and the leaves are protected. The points to check when a load arrives are these:
- Ribs: crisp and unbroken.
- Leaves: full, whole and fresh.
- Butt: cleanly trimmed.
- Position: heads standing upright in the crate.
Shelf life and temperature: the research figures
The figures in this section are research data from UC Davis, not a company specification. Romaine is stored close to 0 °C, where it keeps for about 21 days; at 5 °C the period is about 14 days if no ethylene is present. Relative humidity should be above 95%.
Ethylene is the reason lettuce should not travel with apples, pears, tomatoes or other fruit that produce it. A shared load with other lettuces, fresh herbs and spring onions is possible, since all of them are carried at around 0 °C. Greenhouse vegetables moved at around 10 °C belong on another truck. Our article on the cold chain in fresh produce export goes into the reasons.
Crates and pallets
The heads are packed upright in 30 × 50 × 22 cm plastic crates; state the head size you need. Pallets are 80 × 120 cm euro pallets. Crate formats are compared in packaging and case sizes in export.
The customs code is HS 0705.19, the subheading for lettuces other than head lettuce. Your customs broker should confirm it before the goods move.
What you need to import romaine lettuce from Turkey
To import romaine lettuce from Turkey into a European market, a buyer will ask about certification and residues. ISO 9001, ISO 22000, ISO 10002, GLOBALG.A.P. IFA and GRASP are in place at Hatipoğlu Tarım, and lots destined for Europe are all tested for residues. The article on which certificates European buyers require lists what is commonly requested.
Import process, step by step
The order moves through six stages: harvest, cooling after the butt is trimmed, grading, upright packing, cold storage and dispatch. A full load is 33 euro pallets on a standard 13.60 m refrigerated truck, and shipments are planned on that basis.
Asking for a price
Include the type, the head size, the packaging, the quantity per week, the delivery week and the destination country in your message. Our telephone number is +90 242 339 55 25; the WhatsApp line is +90 534 260 07 25; e-mails go to info@hatipoglutarim.com.
Hatipoğlu Tarım has exported fresh fruit and vegetables from Antalya since 2002. Under the FİNİKE brand it ships 128 product lines to 42 countries, with harvest, grading, cold storage and dispatch handled in house across five facilities in Serik, Kepez, Mavikent, Yenişehir and Alaşehir.
Contact us with the head size and weekly quantity you need, and we will quote for Yedikule romaine.
