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Cheese from Türkiye, Çanakkale Province

Ezine Peyniri PDOEzine Peyniri

A white brined cheese from Çanakkale made from a mix of sheep, goat and cow milk with calf rennet and no starter culture. The curd is pressed, salted in strong brine and packed in tins of brine, where it matures at least 8 months. Non-starter lactic bacteria, mostly enterococci and lactobacilli, were found through the ripening.

Fully documentedCheese8 monthsPDO (EU, entered in the register by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2746 of 30 November 2023; PDO-TR-02889)Family: White brined cheese family (Feta PDO as template)

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceThe specification fixes the milk shares but no batch size. Milk collected from March to July is used. The salt figures below are brine strengths from the dairies studied by Uymaz et al.
Sheep milk (Tahirova, Sakız, Dağlıç and crossbred sheep)35–45 % of the milk, by season[ezine-sd]
Goat milk (Karakeçi goats)At least 40 % of the milk[ezine-sd]
Cow milk (Holstein)At most 25 % of the milk[ezine-sd]
Animal abomasum rennet (calf rennet in the study dairies)[ezine-sd][uymaz2019]
Sea salt only, for the salting brine and the packing brine[ezine-sd]
Starternone; the specification forbids a starter culture

Total time across the recorded steps: 8 months

Start
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65 °C

What changes: The mixed sheep, goat and cow milk is held at 65 °C for 15–20 minutes

Step 1 of 7
Heat the mixed milk
Time
15–20 min
Reported
Temperature
65 °C
Reported
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactic acid bacteria
Enterococcus faecium
Lactobacillus paracasei
L. plantarum
Lactobacilli

The specification names a cooked-milk aroma that comes from the heat treatment.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

At a glance

A white brined cheese from Çanakkale made from a mix of sheep, goat and cow milk with calf rennet and no starter culture. The curd is pressed, salted in strong brine and packed in tins of brine, where it matures at least 8 months. Non-starter lactic bacteria, mostly enterococci and lactobacilli, were found through the ripening. Made in 7 steps over 8 months. The longest step, mature in brine, takes at least 8 months (European Commission 2023) and runs at 4–6 °C (Uymaz B 2019). Salt is 16 % (Uymaz B 2019). Non-starter lactic acid bacteria; Enterococcus faecium and E. faecalis dominated and survived 12 months of ripening with Lactobacillus paracasei and L. plantarum does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main stepat least 8 monthsSet[ezine-sd][uymaz2019]Mature in brine
Temperature4–6 °CReported[uymaz2019]Mature in brine
Salt16 %Reported[uymaz2019]Salt the curd blocks

What makes this one different

Unlike most Turkish white brined cheeses it uses three milks, no starter culture and no calcium chloride, and it matures far longer, at least 8 months in tins of brine.

Milk
Mixed milk; 35–45 % sheep, at least 40 % goat and at most 25 % cow, by season
Composition
At least 49 % fat in dry matter, 43 % dry matter and 6 % salt in dry matter
Acidity
The specification lists pH 4.72 and 0.70 % lactic acid in its table of minimum values
Ripening
At least 8 months in brine

Related ferments

Safety

In the study dairies the milk was heated to 65 °C for 15–20 minutes and the tins were kept at 4–6 °C. The specification fixes a long brine maturation of at least 8 months.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

Production uses the spring and early summer milk, from March to July, of flocks grazing the Kaz Mountains piedmont. Türkiye applied for the name, and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2746 of 30 November 2023 entered it in the EU register as a PDO.

  1. [ezine-sd] European Commission, Single document 'Ezine Peyniri', EU No PDO-TR-02889, Official Journal of the European Union C 287, 16.8.2023, p. 22spec
  2. [eu-2023-2746] Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2746 of 30 November 2023 entering the name 'Ezine Peyniri' (PDO) in the Register of Protected Designations of Origin and Protected Geographical Indications, Official Journal L, 7.12.2023 (Spanish-language copy at boe.es)spec
  3. [uymaz2019] Uymaz B, Akçelik N, Yüksel Z 2019, Physicochemical and Microbiological Characterization of Protected Designation of Origin Ezine Cheese, Food Science of Animal Resources 39(5):804-819paper