Mengen Cheese Product Description and Distinguishing Features: Mengen Cheese is a low-fat and semi-hard cheese produced in the Mengen district of Bolu province, using cow or sheep milk. It has an open yellow color, a cylindrical shape, and a similar appearance to kaşar cheese.Mengen Cheese can be consumed fresh or can be fried in a pan or grilled. The cheese has a taste and texture reminiscent of kaşar cheese. The earliest records related to Mengen Cheese can be found in the almanacs written in the early 20th century. The 1916 almanac, which is the last almanac of the Ottoman Empire and the first almanac of Bolu Province, mentions that Mengen Cheese has a taste and flavor close to kaşar cheese. In the Bolu Province Almanac for the years 1921-1925, it is noted that the cheese from Mengen, a district belonging to the Gerede sub-province, is famous.Mengen Cheese has a long history within its geographical boundaries and holds a significant place in the culinary culture of the Mengen district in Bolu. Therefore, it is associated with its geographical origin. Production Method: For the production of 1 kg of Mengen Cheese, approximately 10 liters of milk are required. The raw milk from cows or sheep, collected without breaking the cold chain, is strained through a cheesecloth and poured into a vat. The milk is pasteurized at a minimum of 63°C for 30 minutes. After pasteurization, the milk is rapidly cooled to the fermentation temperature of 37°C. For curd formation, 5 ml of industrial rennet is added to 10 ml of drinking water, and this mixture is stirred into the 10 liters of milk to achieve a homogeneous distribution. The vat is covered during fermentation, and the temperature is maintained. The fermentation process takes approximately 1 hour. Once fermentation is complete, the curd strength is checked with a knife. When the whey begins to separate from the curd, the curd is cut into large cubes or eight equal slices with a knife and left for 5 minutes.The vat is then heated, and the curd is gently stirred with a curd knife until it is evenly distributed. Heating continues until the temperature of the whey reaches approximately 50-55°C. The coagulated curd, starting to come together due to the temperature, is gathered by hand in whey, and the curd is placed into cylindrical cheese molds prepared in advance, containing a clean cheesecloth with six holes, for the draining process. Weights of at least 2 kg are placed on top of the molds, and they are left in the mold for 8-12 hours. At the end of this period, coarse brine salt (approximately 40 g) is applied to the outer surface of the cheese obtained. The cheeses with dry salting are left for one day at 4°C.Mengen Cheese is packaged in vacuum-sealed packages in desired quantities and offered for sale. Its shelf life is approximately two months.