Kirklareli White Cheese Product Description and Distinctive Features: Kırklareli White Cheese has been produced since the 18th century, carrying a rich legacy rooted in regional culture and tradition. In its early days, production would begin on Hıdırellez, a significant day in the local folk calendar. On this special day, milk producers would donate their milk freely to local cheese-making dairies as a symbolic gesture to usher in prosperity and abundance. The dairies used this donated milk to create the first batches of white cheese curd, which were then used to prepare and share höşmerim dessert with the community. Cheese production officially commenced the following day. The enduring tradition of producing Kırklareli White Cheese from the 18th century to modern times can be attributed to several key factors: the expertise in cheese-making handed down from generation to generation, the region’s rich meadows that support quality milk production, and the area’s favorable climate conditions, all of which contribute to the cheese’s distinct quality and character. The unique characteristics of Kırklareli White Cheese are shaped by both the region's natural flora—a result of its geographical features and climate—and the longstanding cheese-making expertise maintained over generations. These factors cause natural variations in milk quality, which influence the final product. The cheese is made using natural cow rennet. It can be crafted exclusively from cow’s milk or from a blend comprising 30–45% sheep’s milk, 25–40% goat’s milk, and 15–30% cow’s milk. Once produced, the cheese is matured for at least 6 months to develop its full flavor. The milk used for production is sourced from sheep, goats, and cows raised locally in Kırklareli. These animals graze on dry herbs and native plants found in the region's meadows and pastures, which are the primary source of their roughage. This natural vegetation not only nourishes the animals but also directly impacts the quality and flavor of the milk, the essential ingredient of Kırklareli White Cheese. Production Method: Kırklareli White Cheese is crafted from the milk of cows, sheep, and goats that graze on the meadows of the Kırklareli province. It can be made either as a blend of these milks or exclusively from cow's milk. The typical proportions used in producing paçal white cheese are 30–45% sheep’s milk, 25–40% goat’s milk, and 15–30% cow’s milk. Only milk with an acidity level above pH 6.40, a minimum dry matter content of 12%, and that is free from antibiotics and preservatives is accepted for production. The milks from cows, sheep, and goats are transported to the processing facility in separate refrigerated tanks, ensuring the cold chain is preserved. During pasteurization, milk is heated to 63°C between November and March and 65°C from April to October. For this process, facilities typically use double-walled steam-jacketed tanks, while those with plate pasteurizers rely on open steam boilers to maintain the correct temperature for the necessary duration. After pasteurization, the milk is cooled to a temperature 1–2°C above the fermentation point of 50°C. When producing paçal cheese, the blended milks are placed into fermentation tanks accordingly; if the cheese is made solely from cow’s milk, only that milk is used. These fermentation tanks are lined with a filtering cloth at the base and covered with a food-grade nylon tarpaulin on top. The milk undergoes fermentation, curdling, pressing, cutting, and salting processes, ultimately forming white cheese blocks sized approximately 8x8x11 cm. Once the cheese molds are formed, a 90-minute yeast test is performed following the filling of the cheese tanks with milk. This test determines the necessary yeast amount for the curd to reach maturity. The calculated yeast quantity is then diluted with ten times its volume of water and gently added into the tank while stirring continuously. The fermentation temperature is maintained between 32-35°C in winter and 30-32°C in summer. The yeast used is cow-derived rennet with a strength ranging from 1/10,000 to 1/15,000. When the curd achieves cutting maturity, it is cut into 1 cm³ pieces using stainless steel wire knives, slicing both longitudinally and transversely. After cutting, the curd is thoroughly stirred to promote settling, allowing the whey to rise to the surface. The mixture rests for 20 to 30 minutes. Once settled, the nylon tarpaulin covering is flipped, and the whey is drained onto the bottom filtering cloth, acting as a strainer. During production, a total of three pressing stages are applied. In the first press, the edges of the strainer cloth are gathered and secured with stainless steel rods, and side press bars are positioned. The tank’s valve is opened to allow whey to drain for a short period. Then, the cloth ends are tightened, pressed again, leveled, and the upper press plates are placed. The tank’s upper press plate measures 300 cm long and 90 cm wide, consisting of three plates each one meter in length. Each plate is weighted with approximately 80 kg. After about 30 to 45 minutes of pressing, the weights and plates are removed, and the strainer cloth is opened. To aid whey removal, the curd is manually cracked at cutting maturity. Subsequently, the second pressing is applied: the strainer cloth is compressed again, press plates and weights are placed, and the first cracking occurs during this stage. Following the cracking, roughly half the weight on the press plates is taken off, and the third and final pressing is performed. After this last press and curd breaking, the curd attains cutting maturity and firmness within 4 to 5 hours. Once the curd reaches cutting maturity, it is shaped into molds measuring 8x8x11 cm using cheese rulers. The cut white cheeses are then packed into cheese cans with capacities of 3 kg, 5 kg, and 18 kg. After molding inside the tank, the side press bars are removed and the tank’s outlet valves are closed. A 14-16 bome saltwater solution, previously pasteurized at 80-85°C, is poured until the cheese molds are fully submerged. The strainer cloth is taken off, and the molds are left to soak in the brine at an average room temperature of 26-28°C for approximately 8-10 hours. Following the brining process, the cheese molds are taken out of the tanks. The cheeses are arranged in 18 kg cans in two rows filled to 2/3 capacity, in 5 kg cans filled to half capacity using four molds, and in 3 kg cans filled completely with four molds. The cheeses are then allowed to mature until the acidity reaches a pH of 4.90-5.00 in maturation rooms maintained at 24-26°C during the initial maturation period of 2-3 days. During this period, the whey released from the cheeses is drained from the cans every 12 hours. After the primary maturation, the final row of cheese is placed in 18 kg cans filled completely with 27 molds, in 5 kg cans filled fully with 8 molds, and in 3 kg cans filled as in the primary maturation with 4 molds. The height of the cheese molds is adjusted to stand about 0.5-1 cm above the rim of the cans to compensate for shrinkage caused by hardening during the main maturation phase, which lasts at least 6 months. Food-grade nylon sheets are placed between the rows, and pulling bands are wrapped around 1-2 molds in each row. A 6-7 bome saltwater solution is poured into the cans until it overflows, after which they are sealed using a pressing machine. Following a maturation period of at least 6 months at 4±2°C, the cheese is marketed in four different formats: individually packaged molds, or in 3 kg, 5 kg, or 18 kg cans.