Erzincan Tulum Cheese Product Description and Distinctive Features: Erzincan Tulum Cheese has a white to cream-colored appearance with a non-crumbling texture. Its distinctive aroma, which is easily noticeable when tasted, comes from its ingredients. The cheese has a semi-hard, smooth consistency and a characteristic acidic flavor. Erzincan Tulum Cheese is made from the raw milk of Akkaraman sheep, or a mixture of up to 5% Morkaraman sheep's milk or goat's milk blended with Akkaraman milk. The milk used is obtained during the 4th to 9th months of the year. The production process takes place from the 4th to the 12th month. Due to the use of raw milk, the cheese requires a maturation period of at least 4 months. Approximately 1 kg of Tulum cheese is produced from 4-5 liters of milk. The unique characteristics of Erzincan Tulum Cheese involve the use of a minimum of 95% sheep's milk in its formulation, along with traditional cheese rennet derived from the abomasum of lambs or calves, and rock salt. The cheese is firmly packed into packaging materials that are suitable for food contact or stored in goat and sheep skin tulum bags. Production Method: The milk from Akkaraman sheep, which are raised in the local area, is collected between the 4th and 9th months of the year. This milk can be mixed with up to 5% of Morkaraman sheep's milk or goat's milk. Approximately 1 kg of Tulum cheese is produced from 4-5 liters of milk. After being filtered several times, the milk is left to rest in vats for around 2 hours. The rennet used in the production of Erzincan Tulum Cheese is prepared by adding 6-7 dried lamb rennets or 3-4 calf rennets to about 25-30 liters of cheese whey and letting it rest for 1 week. After resting, the milk is fermented with 1-3 liters of rennet for every 100 liters of milk. After an hour, the curds are moved to special strainers to form curdled cheese. After one day, the curds are placed in 50 kg bags, where they remain for approximately 10 days, being turned upside down each day to ensure complete drainage. The cheeses are then salted with 2-2.5% rock salt from the Kemah district in Erzincan, packed into bags, and tightly pressed. The bags are sewn shut and stacked one on top of the other. After 10 days of draining, when the cheese has fully lost its whey, it is transferred to cold storage. Erzincan Tulum Cheese is placed into food-contact suitable packaging or bags made from goat and sheepskin, then tightly pressed. After at least 4 months of maturing at temperatures between -2°C and 0°C in cold storage, the cheese is ready for market distribution. After the maturation process, the cheese can be stored for up to 12 months under the same conditions.