Biga Cheese Dessert


Description and Distinctive Features of the Product:

Biga Cheese Sweet is a dessert specific to the Çanakkale province, prepared without using teleme and/or salt. It is made with fresh cheese, water, special-purpose wheat flour, eggs, and baking soda. Biga Cheese Sweet holds significant importance in the culinary culture of Çanakkale and is not only consumed in daily meals but is also prepared and served on special occasions such as weddings, holidays, and festivals. Therefore, there is a connection between the geographical boundary where Biga Cheese Sweet is produced and its reputation.

Biga Cheese Dessert

Biga Cheese Sweet is a partially processed product obtained by kneading the ingredients used in its preparation according to the appropriate technique, shaping the dough, and baking it until it turns golden. Subsequently, it is soaked in syrup and served as a dessert.

Produced as a semi-finished product, Biga Cheese Sweet has a shiny appearance, an amber-brown color and shades, a semi-spherical shape, round/concave, with a convex and swollen surface. It has a dominant taste of fresh cheese. The product is desired to be sufficiently baked without having a burnt or pale/white appearance. Additionally, it is preferred that Biga Cheese Sweet does not break after being soaked in syrup. After being soaked, the cheese sweets can be optionally decorated on top or served with clotted cream or ice cream.

The production of Biga Cheese Sweet, which differs in terms of the components used and the production method, requires skill and expertise.

Production Method:

Biga Cheese Sweet Ingredients List and Average Ratios to be Used: - 40% fresh cheese produced without using teleme and/or salt - 35% special-purpose wheat flour - 18% water - 6% eggs - 1% baking soda Ingredients List and Amounts for the Syrup (for 150 g of Biga Cheese Sweet): - 1.25 liters of water - 1 kg of white granulated sugar - Optionally, 10 ml of lemon juice or 10 g of citric acid

Stages of Biga Cheese Sweet Production: Preparation of the Dough: In a sufficiently large pot/container, ingredients (eggs, cheese, wheat flour, baking soda, and water, in that order) are placed, and the dough is kneaded until it reaches the desired soft consistency. The cheese to be used is ground or broken into small pieces before being incorporated into the dough. Skill in achieving a homogeneous mixture and the right consistency for the dough plays an essential role here. Once the dough reaches the desired consistency, it is shaped into semi-spheres, round/convex, either by hand or using shaping tools/equipment.

Baking: The shaped dough is placed on baking sheets. These dough portions are baked in steam ovens at an average temperature of 250°C for 20 minutes or in non-steam ovens at 170°C for 40 minutes. Optionally, double baking can be applied at an average temperature of 170°C for 20 minutes for an extended shelf life. After baking, the cheese sweets are set aside to cool. Once cooled, the semi-finished product of Biga Cheese Sweet is ready for syrup soaking.

Storage Conditions and Packaging: The semi-finished Biga Cheese Sweet is stored in cool, odor-free, dry environments that are not exposed to direct sunlight. It is packaged in food-contact-safe packaging or can be sold in bulk, complying with relevant food regulations and labeled appropriately for consumers.

Soaking in Syrup and Serving: White granulated sugar and water are mixed in a sufficiently large container and brought to a boil. Optionally, lemon juice/citric acid is added, and the syrup is boiled for about 10 minutes. The semi-finished cheese sweets are added to the boiling syrup. The cheese sweets are boiled in the syrup for approximately 20 minutes to absorb the syrup.

Once soaked, the cheese sweets are transferred to serving plates. Biga Cheese Sweet can be optionally decorated on top or served with clotted cream or ice cream.