Textural Properties of Herby Cheese Tulay Ozcan, Lutfiye Yilmaz-Ersan and Arzu Akpinar-Bayizit Uludag University/Department of Food Engineering, Bursa, Turkey Email: {tulayozcan, lutfiyey, abayizit}@uludag.edu.tr Berrak Delikanli-Kiyak Bursa, Turkey Email: berrakdelikanli@gmail.com Abstract—Herby (Otlu) cheese is a traditional cheese variety which is manufactured broadly in the eastern and south- eastern regions of Turkey. In this study the textural properties of herby cheese containing various herbs sold in the markets was determined. The textural characteristics of traditional cheeses were different from industrial herby cheeses, particularly depending on manufacturing practices as well as raw milk composition, herbs, salt, etc. Traditional herby cheese had lower sensory scores for color, fracturability. Future studies should concentrate on the standardization of manufacturing process and the effect of herbs and their combination on final product properties to improve consumer perception and acceptability. Index Terms—Turkish Herby cheese, texture, sensory I. INTRODUCTION Cheese is a fermented milk product produced and consumed all over the world that is known for centuries. Cheese as being an excellent source of protein and minerals such as calcium and phosphorus and essential amino acids is an important food in human nutrition. It is estimated that more than 1 000 types of cheeses differing in their characteristics such as composition, functionality, appearance and flavor are manufactured [1], [2]. Turkey is among the largest producers of cheese with more than 100 varieties such as White pickled, Kasar, Tulum, Mihalic, Herby, Abhazian, Circassian, Civil, and Orgu cheese [3], [4]. Herby (Otlu) cheese, a semi-hard salty cheese, has long been traditionally produced more than 200 years in Eastern Anatolia Region (Van, Hakkari, Bitlis) as well as in the provinces of Diyarbakir and Siirt of the South-East Anatolia Region [5]-[7]. Herby cheese is produced using herbs that are endemic to the specified regions which give the cheese its characteristic appearance and flavor. These herbs belong to the species of Allium, Thymus, Silene, Ferula, and Anthriscus nemorosa, the local names of which are Sirmo, Kekik, Siyabo, Heliz and Mendo, respectively (Table I). Among these herbs Allium is the most widely used species. It was reported that the use of different herbs and their levels in production significantly affect the Manuscript received July 28, 2016; revised September 28, 2016. chemistry, biochemistry and sensory characteristics [5], [8]-[11]. Herby cheese can be either ripened in brine or in earthenware or plastic containers using dry-salting. In the past, dry-salted cheeses were ripened underground; however, brining is more preferred nowadays [10]-[12]. The artisanal manufacturing of herby cheese is from whole unpasteurized ewe’s, cow’s and/or goat’s milk without any addition of starter culture. The herbs used are generally a mixture of the species of Allium, Choerophyllum, Calamintha, Thymus or Ferula and used at a rate of 0.1–1.5%. However, in industrial production, pasteurized milk is preferred and the milk is acidified by a mesophilic starter culture, e.g., Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis and L. lactis subsp. cremoris [13]-[15]. The cheese is ripened at 7–8 o C for 90–150 days; but there are no specific national standards for the ripening time [6]. As herby cheese is preserved either dry or in brine, there are differences in structure and appearance. It is rindless, white colored, medium to hard consistency and close-textured with a salty and piquant flavor [15]. This cheese has an odor imparted by the herbs that are added to it and its color may vary in tones between white and yellowish. The herbs predominate in its appearance, which is otherwise that of common white cheese [7]. Texture represents all the rheological and structural attributes perceptible by means of mechanical, tactile, and, when appropriate, visual and auditory receptors of any food matrix [16]. The factors that have impact on texture include fat globules embedded within the protein matrix, fat globules coated with casein micelle fragments that interact with the surrounding casein matrix, free pools of fat, casein matrix density, proteolysis that reduces the casein cross-linking and water content aside with the bond strength and density between chains of fused casein micelles. Increasing casein bond strength and density results in enhanced firmness of the matrix [17]. Previous studies have reported the biochemical characterization herby cheese [6], [8], [11]-[14], [18], however, the texture analyses have not been conducted. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the textural and sensorial properties herby cheeses supplied both from traditional dairy producers and industrial dairy plants. 23 International Journal of Food Engineering Vol. 3, No. 1, June 2017 ©2017 International Journal of Food Engineering doi: 10.18178/ijfe.3.1.23-28 Uludag University /Department of Food Engineering,