493 Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science, 16 (No 4) 2010, 493-499 Agricultural Academy A TURKISH CHEESE-BASED DESSERT A. AKPINAR BAYIZIT, T. OZCAN and L. YILMAZ * Uludag University, Department of Food Engineering, 16059, Gorukle, Bursa, Turkey Abstract BAYIZIT, A. AKPINAR, T. OZCAN and L. YILMAZ, 2010. A Turkish cheese-based dessert. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 16: 493-499 Mustafakemalpasa (cheese) dessert is a traditional dessert, prepared with sugar syrup, mainly consumed in western parts of Turkey. The dessert is made from fresh unsalted cheese (40-70%), semolina flour (40-50%), baking powder and eggs. The shelf life of the dessert packed in polyethylene bags varies according to being single- or double-baked, the process applied to decrease moisture content, and thus water activity, from 3 days up to 6 months at room temperature. Key words: Mustafakemalpasa, traditional, dessert, cheese Introduction Tradition is an important issue when considering food that can be described at different levels within social groups as small as a family or as a function of time scale. Traditional foods can be related to special events such as weddings, religous days for every coun- try, and are often concerned with local foods and ar- tisan foods referring to specific ingredients, location of the production and know-how. It could be the food made by grandmothers or by the native people of a country (ethnic food) (Cayot, 2007). Turkish cuisine is considered as one of the three richest and oldest cooking traditions of the world to- gether with French and Chinese cooking. It has a rich and variegated tradition of soups, olive oil dishes, rice pilafs, stuffed vegetables, pastries, puddings and syr- upy desserts underlying the popular dishes of kebab and baklava. The diversity of Turkish cuisine reflects the cultures of the populations living in regions highly dissimilar in geography and climate. This has led to an abundance of ingredients and cooking styles. An old Turkish saying advises one to “eat sweet, speak in a sweet way”. The main characteristic of desserts is the high energy and pleasure they give with regard to the ingredients. Sweets and desserts have always been important and distinctive elements of Turkish cuisine. They fulfill an important social and ritual function. Some, such as baklava, are preferred during weddings and religious days, whereas dairy- based deserts can be consumed either with each meal or any time of the day. The aspects of taste and health of foods, particu- larly desserts, are to be considered in an equal line, and should be improved and clarified for the consum- ers (Cayot, 2007). People are being more concerned about dessert consumption along with their conscious- ness on health and physical appearance, due to rapid change in popular life style and eating habits. A broad range of ready-to-eat dairy-based des- lutfiyey@uludag.edu.tr