Urla Women’s Cooperative (Urla Kadın Kooperatifi)

Why it matters: run by roughly 170 women of the Urla peninsula, this producer cooperative turns the region’s famous artichokes, wild herbs and heirloom recipes into an income women earn for themselves – one of the Aegean’s most successful women’s co-ops, started by just seven founders. The shelves are the reward for visitors: small-batch jams, herb and artichoke erişte (egg noodles), tomato paste, pickles and olive-oil goods, all made and jarred by members. Sit at the Urla Karya tea house for gözleme and a Turkish coffee, then stock up on gifts you won’t find in the chain shops. Tip: pair it with an Urla vineyard-and-olive-oil day trip from central İzmir – the town is about 40 minutes west.