Tekirdag Cheese Halva Product Description and Distinctive Features: Tekirdağ Cheese Halva, synonymous with Tekirdağ province, is produced using unsalted cheese, white sugar, wheat flour, and egg yolk or coloring agent (E160a (betacarotene)). The product has a unique shiny yellow color, a homogeneous structure, and a appearance with a fibrous texture. It should not have a sticky or crystallized structure. Cooking at high heat and the cooking time play a role in the formation of the fibrous texture. Unsalted cheese obtained from raw milk is combined with sunflower oil, a coloring agent (for achieving the yellow color), or egg yolk, followed by the addition of wheat flour. Finally, white sugar is added to the mixture. No preservatives are used in the production of Tekirdağ Cheese Halva. Production Method: The proportional content of Tekirdağ Cheese Halva is as follows: White sugar: 2934% Unsalted cheese curd: 5256% Wheat flour: 912% Sunflower oil: 46% Coloring agent (E160a (betacarotene)) or egg yolk The milk used in production is sourced from cows raised in Tekirdağ province. These raw milks are subjected to heat treatment up to 3640°C. Once the milk reaches this temperature, it is transferred to a cheese container lined with nylon and cheesecloth, where it is fermented with cheese rennet. The amount of rennet is adjusted according to its strength. The rennet is mixed with 1/5 of water and evenly added to the milk in the cheese container. The fermented milk is allowed to coagulate for 13 to 30 minutes. To determine the coagulation maturity, a stainless steel knife is inserted into the coagulated milk, and if the curd remains undisturbed and there is no milk residue on the knife, the coagulation maturity is reached. After fermentation, curd forms. The curd is then broken into approximately 2 cm diameter curd pieces using stainless steel ladles, and the mixture is covered with nylon and left for half an hour. After this waiting period, the curd settles at the bottom, and the whey is removed. The remaining whey at the top is drained. Pressure is applied to the formed curds using stainless steel plates. Approximately 7982% of the whey is drained during pressing. The curds are left under pressure for 11.5 hours. When the pH value of the matured cheeses reaches the desired range, they are cut into pieces, weighed for each batch, and the cooking process begins. The cut cheeses are placed in a cooking pot. To prevent the cheeses from burning during cooking, sunflower oil is added at a rate of 46%. The cooking process is carried out over high heat until the cheeses reach 8385°C. At this point, the coloring agent or egg yolk is added. E160a (betacarotene) is used as the coloring agent. When the cheese starts to melt and reaches the desired consistency, wheat flour obtained from durum wheat is added at around 912%. Stirring continues vigorously over high heat until the smell of flour disappears and the mixture is homogeneously distributed. Care should be taken to prevent the flour from clumping and to ensure even distribution. If the cooking process is excessive, a fibrous texture will not form; if it is insufficient, the cheese will not integrate well with the flour, resulting in water leakage and a dull appearance. Finally, white sugar is added. Stirring continues until the sugar dissolves, a process that takes approximately 510 minutes. The product is cooled to 2425°C and then packaged in polypropylene (PP) or PET containers. Tekirdağ Cheese Halva intended for fresh consumption is stored at 04°C, transported in refrigerated vehicles without breaking the cold chain, and has a shelf life of 30 days from the production date. After opening the package, the product should be stored at 04°C.