Determination of local products in Fındıklı district of Rize province and development of gluten-free, lactose-free products: The case of milk pastry

The eating and drinking habits and traditions of the indigenous people living in a region, the cooking methods and techniques they apply in the kitchen, and the tools they use are a basic part of the local culture. Considering the cultural diversity in our country, the importance of local cuisine elements for destinations is inevitable. As a part of this cultural diversity, Laz communities contribute to the development of the Black Sea Region with their traditions and culinary culture. Although the awareness of the local dishes of the Laz communities is low, it is thought that the awareness of the Laz communities can increase with the studies to be carried out. In addition, it is observed that individuals have started to change their eating habits and turn to new nutrition trends in line with their desire to live healthier and longer. Individuals, who are faced with many chronic diseases due to unconscious consumption habits, turn to foods that protect health and prevent diseases. For this reason, the food group called functional foods plays an important role in new consumption habits. Within the scope of this study, face-to-face interviews were held with 21 people to determine the local foods in Fındıklı district, and the standard recipes of the foods were recorded. Then, changes were made in the original recipe of milk pastry among these foods, and a healthy product alternative was developed that is gluten-free, lactose-free, and also refined sugar-free. In this way, a product has been developed that can be easily consumed by people who are sensitive in this sense. The final product was subjected to sensory analysis by 10 trained panelists. According to the results of the sensory evaluation, the most popular recipe was determined and presented to the consumer. In addition to presenting the sensory properties of the süt böreği produced within the scope of the study, the purchasing intention of the consumers was also measured. It was determined that 68 of the participants wanted to buy the developed milk pastry, while 20 of them did not want to buy it. In order to evaluate the functionality of the product, it is recommended v that it be subjected to chemical analysis in future studies.