Sakarya couple preserves 90-year-old millet milling tradition

In the Kaynarca district of Sakarya, Aziz and Vasfiye Ceylan are preserving a 90-year-old family tradition of millet production and milling. The couple grows millet in their family fields located in the Özbey neighborhood of Kandıra, Kocaeli.

Following the harvest, the millet is brought to their home in Kaynarca to be processed using a handmade stone mill that is operated manually. Despite the prevalence of modern technology, the couple continues to use this ancestral method to grind the grain. The process separates the millet essence from the residue; the residue is used as poultry feed, while the essence is sold for 1,000 Turkish Lira per kilogram.

The resulting essence is a key ingredient for the traditional regional dessert known as ‘üre tatlısı’. Aziz Ceylan expressed his commitment to the craft, noting that he finds joy in the labor-intensive process and intends to pass the tradition down to future generations.