The List of 10 Best Cheeses in Turkey

Cheese should be the most delicious invention of humankind. It has been considered that its homeland is Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East. The archeological findings have demonstrated that cheese production dates back to the 4th century BC and the physical evidence was found in Poland. Later, it spread to other continents. Currently, Europe is in the first place when it comes to annual cheese production, and the sources show that around the world, there are more than 1,800 different types. For a second, imagine the types of Turkish cheese. The most popular ones are; kunefe cheese, Turkish halloumi, eski kasar cheese and of course muhlama cheese. Alright, below we will cover the whole types of Turkish cheeses for cheese lovers.

Pule cheese, which is produced with 60% Balkan donkey milk and 40% goat’s milk in Serbia, is the most expensive cheese, at around $600/pound. The second most expensive cheese is White Stilton Gold, which is around $420/pound, and Wyke Farms Cheddar is the third place on the list at $200/pound.

Turkey is a pretentious competitor to Europe when it comes to cheese production and quality. As the climate and the agricultural products change from city to city, almost every city has its own technique and kind of cheese, at least one. More than 200 kinds of cheeses are still being produced with thousands of years of tradition in Turkey. If you are a cheese lover, if you are saying that some locally produced wine will be good with local cheeses, and moreover, if you are looking for some cheese desserts beyond the limits of fame, here is a list for you to think about.

10. Artvin Gorcolo Cheese:

It is made from cow milk, which is grown on the Cengelek, Arsiyan plateaus in Artvin. Cows are fed various endemic plants on those plateaus, and the fresh milk is first boiled, the bubbles removed to cotton bags, and it waits under a large stone until all the water filters through. Gorcolo cheese does not contain salt, but when salted, it transforms into Sor cheese. The best way to try that Sor cheese is to take a trip to Artvin.

9. Nevşehir Pottery Cheese:

Fresh classical white cheeses wait in the water to get rid of their bitter taste, filtered and salted. The rest of the process is traditional. Afterward, it is filled into pots in an airtight manner and the pot is covered with dough, lastly buried in the soil of river sand upside down. It takes 3 or more months to mature. At sundown with the stunning view of fairy chimneys, it may be good company with the local wines.

Imagine yourself at your fancy El Puente Cave Hotel, sipping red wine and biting on a piece of Nevsehir Pottery Cheese while watching the sunset. That is the nature of things. Are you going to attend? Then book a tour to Cappadocia underground city for yummy cheese and delicious Turkish cuisine.

8.Erzurum Kuflu (Moldy) Cheese:

It is known as “Gogermiş Cheese” at the same time. This kind has a positive effect on bone development and bone-strengthening due to its moldy layer being very effective against viruses. Erzurum is one of the highest and coldest cities in Turkey, and currently, the majority of its people earn their living by farming. Thus the region is a good place for cheese production. Moldy Cheese is made from another kind of local cheese, Civil, and after releasing all its water, it waits in a chilly, dark place for around 4-6 months in a cotton bag. Discover Erzurum and taste the Kuflu Moldy Cheese. Book a 4 Day Erzurum City & Yummy Cooking Tour.

7. Izmir Tulum Cheese:

Izmir Tulum cheese is a well-known and widely consumed kind of cheese in Turkey. It is produced from high-yielding sheep’s milk. This recipe is a little bit different and more detailed than the other ones. The fresh sheep milk first reaches the heat of 28–35 °C (the heat is important here) and is fermented. The milk coagulates and hot water, which is around 40–50 °C, is poured on it. Next, water is filtered, salted, and the cheese matures in the goatskin bags. Izmir Tulum cheese, which is rich in calcium and protein, is especially recommended for athletes. It has low lactose levels. If you’re a foodie like us, you’ll be blown away by this flavor. Take advantage of your chance to sample the 6 Day Dream of Turkey Vacation Package.

6. Trabzon Tel Cheese:

It is produced from fresh cow’s milk. Fermented milk is boiled and warmed milk. Wait 3 days in the frozen and mixed with boiling water and salt, stirring occasionally. Instead of other kinds, there is no need for cotton bags or maturation here. Tel cheese is a must for the local dish “Kuymak” or “Muhlama cheese” which has an appetizing view. You can charge back all the energy with “kuymak” as you have lost while climbing to Sumena Monastery or plateaus. Definitely, you must taste it. Don’t think twice and book now from here.

5. Erzincan Tulum Cheese:

Erzincan Tulum Cheese is made from Karaman sheep (a special kind of sheep race) milk between the months of June to November. The unique feature of Erzincan Tulum Cheese is that it is made from raw sheep milk and no other milk is mixed with it. While other processes are the same, Erzincan Tulum Cheese is salted with locally produced Kemah salt.

4. Ezine Beyazi:

It is produced by fermenting the milk of sheep, goats, and cows fed with various grasses grown in the Kaz Mountains. This medium-hard and porous type of cheese are In order to complete the fermentation process, it should be kept in a cold room at 4 degrees for 8 months. It has a light, creamy taste. You should taste also Turkish dessert Hosmerim which is made of roasted semolina, milk, water, sugar, and unsalted cheese (dil peyniri). This Ezine Cheese means to classic Turkish breakfast cheese for many of Turks and taste is little bit salty but with an oily side you can eat with your fingers too if you like this type of style & taste.

3. Van Otlu (Grassy) Cheese:

It is produced in spring due to the increased production of sheep’s milk. Sheep milk is boiled and when the temperature drops to 30 degrees, it is fermented, and the greens such as wild mint, thyme, mendi (Chaerophyllum Macrospermum), and sirmo (Allium Schoenoprasum). If preferred, 25 more different kinds of greens can be added to the recipe. It can be matured in cotton bags however natives choose the way to put it into an earthenware pot and wait between 3 to 7 months after burying it in the soil. In addition to its extraordinary taste, it is a storehouse of vitamin C. Wanna taste? Click here

2. Konya Obrugu, or known as Divle Obrugu

Here, anything gets interesting. To cook Konya Obrugu cheese, first, you need Akkaraman sheep’s milk. Akkaraman sheep are a breed resistant to harsh environmental conditions and have fatty and aromatic milk. The goat’s milk is pasteurized and fermented, free from water, and stuffed into a goat leather jumpsuit. The goat leather jumpsuit is the first key element in this case; the cheese only acquires its distinct aroma after maturing in a goat leather jumpsuit. The second detail is the place. Konya Obrugu or Divre Obrugu should be matured in the Divle Cave, 36 meters down from the ground. Make a book to taste Divre Obruk Cheese.

1. Kars Gravyer Cheese

Kars Gruyere Cheese is a very It has a delicate manufacturing process that any kind of error or cheating immediately reveals. First of all, it must be cooked in a copper boiler; no steel, no aluminum, or else. The milk is fermented at 37 degrees and heated up until 55 degrees again. It is filled into molds and salted for 4-5 days. The cheese, whose pores are formed at this stage, is consumed after resting for 3–4 months in cold rooms with a temperature of 10–13 degrees. Gruyere cheese is produced only with the milk of special cows called the Zavot breed. Apart from this, the desired performance could not be achieved in cheese obtained from regular cow’s milk.

Kars Gravyer Cheese is number 1 in our cheese list. If you are planning to go to Kars, taste it.

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