Kars Kashar History, Description, and Distinctive Features of the Product: History: The production of Kaşar cheese in the province of Kars dates back to the early years of the Republic of Turkey. Entrepreneurs who noticed the potential and quality of milk in the region came to Kars and started Kaşar cheese production. According to concrete data, the first production of Kaşar cheese in the province of Kars took place in the village of Kümbetli in 1926. Due to the suitability of Kaşar production for the region's livestock structure and geography, it was easily embraced by the people. From 1927 to 1933, many cheese factories were opened in the region, and within six years, more than 40 Kaşar cheese factories became operational. The local people, working as apprentices alongside masters in the factories, trained their own masters. Today, Kars Kaşar, produced in modern facilities while preserving tradition in the province of Kars, is marketed throughout the country, becoming the most important sector of the regional economy and synonymous with the province nationwide. Description and Distinctive Features: The geographical area where Kars Kaşar is produced relies on cattle farming based on extensive pasture management, as emphasized in many scientific studies. Due to the delayed warming of the air depending on altitude in these lands, the spring characteristics are observed not in March but rather after May, resulting in a rainy and cool season in Kars and its vicinity until mid-July. The climatic conditions lead to the formation of alpine meadows, creating very favorable conditions for extensive pasture-based livestock farming, which forms the basis of human and economic life in the region. Vegetation in the highlands starts later compared to the rest of Turkey but lasts longer and ends later. Especially during the summer months when the regional vegetation is abundant, the temperatures are lower, and the rainy season contributes to the lush and long-lasting vegetation in the pastures, which dries up later. This climatic situation distinguishes the region from other provinces nearby. Kars Kaşar, classified in the mature cheese category, is a mountain cheese, and its production process has remained unchanged over time. The milk used in cheese production is obtained from animals grazing in the meadows of Kars and Ardahan provinces, where there are around 1600 flowering plants, with approximately 80 taxa being endemic and 20 taxa being rare. Kars Kaşar production is a seasonal activity, and the cheese is made from the milk obtained during the period when animals freely roam and graze in the meadows from May to August. The product stands out for being produced with the milk of animals grazing in the meadow compared to its counterparts. Kars Kaşar contains 32 substances, including aldehydes, ketones, esters, fatty acids, terpenes, and hydrocarbons, which determine the taste, flavor, and aroma profile of the cheese, setting it apart from its counterparts.