Yalova Aronia Description and Distinctive Features of the Product: Yalova Aronia is a grape-like fruit produced from the Viking and Nero varieties of the Aronia melanocarpa (Michaux) Elliot species, which belongs to the Rosaceae family. In the early stages, the fruit color of Yalova Aronia is pink, and it undergoes subsequent transformations to pink-purple and then purple-black. Due to the presence of tannin, its taste is bitter, tart, and astringent, but when fully ripe, the fruit becomes sweet. The plant of Yalova Aronia is self-fertile and does not require pollinator plants. It is a deciduous, bushy, woody, perennial plant that grows in a shrub form with a long lifespan, maintaining its vitality for decades. The annual branches of Yalova Aronia produce buds, leading to the formation of flower clusters on the shoots of that year. The flower structure is hermaphroditic, meaning the flowers have both male and female organs. The flowers have 5 sepals and petals each, with one ovary. The cluster structure of the flowers is cymous, in a compound false umbrella shape, formed by the aggregation of several clusters. The average number of flowers in a cluster is 34 for the Viking variety and 30 for the Nero variety. Flowering occurs gradually, with flowers opening sequentially from the center outward. Flowers on thinner branches open earlier than those on thicker branches. The flowering pattern of flower clusters on one-year-old branches is from the top to the bottom. Flowering takes about 20 days, varying depending on temperature. Flowering in Yalova Aronia occurs in April-May, unaffected by late spring frosts. Fruit setting occurs in May, fruit development and coloring take place in June and July, and fruit ripening occurs in August. Color changes on the fruit surface begin with fruit development. In the early stages, the fruit surface is pink, progressing to pink-purple and then purple-black in later stages. During the mature fruit period, the fruits reach full size and turn black. Even after turning black, the ripening process continues, and the fruit size increases. The Viking variety of Yalova Aronia grows to a height of 2.2–2.5 m, is cold-resistant, and produces 30–40 basal shoots, growing more upright. The Nero variety of Yalova Aronia grows to a height of 1.8–2 m, has a more horizontal growth habit, and forms fewer basal shoots. Plants start bearing fruit, ranging from 2 to 5 kg per plant, from the second year after planting. In Yalova province, the plant reaches full productivity in the 7th year, yielding up to 14 kg per plant. In 1 kg of Yalova Aronia fruit, there are 20 g of polyphenols and 4–8.5 g of anthocyanins. Chemically, it is dominated by organic acids such as chlorogenic, neochlorogenic, malic, tartaric, and citric acids. The pH value is between 3.3–3.8. The antioxidant content in the Nero variety of Yalova Aronia is 896.31 (Trolox µM/100g), and in the Viking variety, it is 903 (Trolox µM/100g). The total phenol content, in terms of "mg Gallic Acid/100g," is 99.56 for the Nero variety and 96.38 for the Viking variety. The climate of Yalova province exhibits transitional characteristics between Mediterranean and Black Sea climates as a macroclimate type. The warm and humid summer months contribute to the biochemical and pomological characteristics of Yalova Aronia, while the slightly cold, rainy, and frost-free winter months support root development and trunk nourishment during the leafless dormant period. The coldest months being December, January, and February meet the 800-1000 hours of chilling requirement for the flowering of plants reaching generative maturity. In Yalova province, it is crucial that the highest temperatures during the summer months mostly do not exceed 30°C, rare occurrences of frost in winter and spring, high average relative humidity (50-70%), and the majority of rainfall, occurring after leaf shedding is complete, allowing the plant to enter a resting period. The period between July and August is particularly important, as it is when the fruits absorb nutrients from the soil and sun, and the fruits reach suitable nutritional values for harvesting. It is also essential that the relatively dry climate prevails in August when the fruits turn black, to avoid problems such as wrinkling, water loss, volume reduction, and visual distortions that may occur due to premature harvesting and, consequently, loss of taste and aroma. The soil in which Yalova Aronia is cultivated should be loamy (occasionally clay-loamy), neutral or slightly alkaline (pH 7.0-7.6), free of lime or low in lime, moderately moist, light-textured, permeable, and without salinity problems to acquire the distinctive features of Yalova Aronia.