Abkhazian cheese
In its own language: აფხაზური ყველი
A stretched-curd cheese made from sheep or cow milk, kept by the Abkhaz diaspora in Turkey.
This pasta filata cheese comes from the Abkhaz people and their communities in Turkey. Makers use sheep, cow, or buffalo milk to create a product similar to kasseri. It holds a geographical indication registered in Turkey.
- Part of the pasta filata stretched-curd family
- Made by Abkhaz diaspora in Sakarya, Turkey
- Uses sheep, cow, or buffalo milk
- Registered for GI in Turkey in 2021
- Techniques passed down through women
What is Abkhazian cheese?
Abkhazian cheese belongs to the pasta filata family, meaning it is a stretched-curd variety. Makers typically blend sheep and cow milk, or sometimes mix cow and buffalo milk. The result resembles other regional cheeses like kasseri or dil peyniri. Women in Abkhaz households traditionally preserve these techniques as part of their daily knowledge. The cheese appears as a firm, stretchable block suitable for slicing or melting.
Where does Abkhazian cheese come from?
The cheese traces its roots to Abkhazia, a region on the Black Sea coast. After the Russian conquest in 1864, many Abkhaz families were displaced to the Ottoman Empire. Those who settled in Sakarya province have maintained their dairy traditions for roughly seven centuries. The craft survived through oral transmission within families rather than commercial factories.
What does Abkhazian cheese taste like?
As a member of the pasta filata group, the texture is elastic and chewy. It shares general characteristics with kasseri, suggesting a mild, savory profile typical of stretched curds.
How Abkhazian cheese is made
Producers heat the milk and add rennet to form curds. These curds are then cut, cooked, and stretched in hot water or whey to develop elasticity. The mixture is shaped into blocks and cooled.
Abkhazian cheese, drawn
How Abkhazian cheese is eaten and cooked
The cheese can be eaten fresh or aged slightly. Its stretching quality makes it suitable for melting in dishes. It serves as a staple protein source in Abkhaz cuisine and fits into everyday meals across the diaspora.
Abkhazian cheese through the day
No specific meal times are listed. It functions as a general food item within the household diet of the Abkhaz community.
Abkhazian cheese in the world's kitchens
Turkish cuisine incorporates this cheese, particularly among the Abkhaz population in Sakarya. The dish reflects the culinary heritage brought from the Caucasus region during the nineteenth-century migrations.
At a glance: where it turns up
Cuisines
Faith and ritual
No religious associations or ritual uses are mentioned in the available information.
Custom and folk tradition
Cheese-making remains a key cultural marker for Abkhazians in exile. The knowledge passes primarily through women, keeping the practice alive despite displacement. This continuity connects modern makers to their ancestors who left the homeland after 1864.
What to use instead of Abkhazian cheese
Kasseri and dil peyniri serve as close relatives with similar properties. Cooks might use these if Abkhazian cheese is unavailable.
Protection and trade
The Turkish Patent and Trademark Office granted geographical indication status on May 3, 2021. This protection helps identify authentic products made by the Abkhaz community in Sakarya.
Questions people ask about Abkhazian cheese
Where does Abkhazian cheese come from?
It originates from the Abkhaz people of the Caucasus region. Today, it is primarily produced by the diaspora community in Sakarya, Turkey, following their migration after 1864.
What milk is used to make it?
Makers typically use a blend of sheep and cow milk. Some variations may include buffalo milk alongside cow milk to create the final product.
Is it similar to any other cheeses?
Yes, it shares properties with kasseri and dil peyniri. All belong to the pasta filata style, featuring a stretchy texture derived from heated and stretched curds.
Does it have protected status?
Yes, Sakarya Abkhazian cheese received geographical indication registration from the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office on May 3, 2021.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Abkhazian cheese", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryCheese rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. Recipes, ageing and customs differ from one dairy, valley or kitchen to the next. Folk beliefs are described as tradition, never as advice. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-15.
More from Georgia
All the cheeses of Georgia
🇦🇲 Armenia and 4 moreChechilչեչիլ
A brined, stringy pasta filata cheese from the Caucasus region.Mixed · Brined · Salty
🇬🇪 GeorgiaTeniliტენილი ყველი
A stuffed string cheese from Georgia's Meskheti region, made from sheep's milk and aged in clay pots.Sheep · Stretched curd · Savoury and brothy
🇬🇪 GeorgiaDambalkhachoდამბალხაჭო
A pungent, semi-soft Georgian cheese aged in clay pots with sour buttermilk curdsCow · Semi-soft · Pungent and funky
🇬🇪 GeorgiaChkintiჭყინტი ყველი
A fresh, hand-squeezed cow's milk cheese from Georgia's Imereti region.Cow · Fresh
Its cousins elsewhere
All stretched curd cheeses
🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 moreOaxaca cheesequeso Oaxaca
A semi-hard, stringy cow's milk cheese from southern Mexico, made using the pasta filata method.Cow · Semi-hard · Milky and fresh
🇨🇷 Costa Rica and 1 morePalmitoQueso palmito
A Costa Rican stretched-curd cheese shaped like a knotted ball of string cheese.Cow · Fresh · Salty
🇦🇷 ArgentinaProvoleta
A firm Argentine pulled-curd provolone cheese shaped for grilling and served with spices.Cow · Stretched curd · Savoury and brothy