Traditional Cheeses of Marmara Region in Turkey

The Marmara Region is situated in the north-western part of Turkey. It is a point of juncture between Europe and Asia, thousands of civilizations passed from one continent to the other and left some parts of their cuisines in the region. Some cheese varieties are real artworks; they have to be formed and ripened in the hands of the cheese master. Mihaliç Cheese is one of these cheeses. It is an aged cheese made from high-fat sheep milk in the north western provinces of Balıkesir and Bursa. It’s been made in the region since more than 200 years. Also, the best Lor cheese is made from the whey of Mihaliç cheese. Çerkez Füme is a Circassian smoked cheese produced in the eastern Marmara region. This cheese is usually made from low fat milk, and is fumed with pinewood smoke. Abaza is a semi-hard cheese that is infused with various herbs, the most popular version being with nigella seeds. Ezine, is famed for its highquality Beyaz Peynir variations which are produced from full fat sheep-goat and cow milk mixtures and ripened for at least 6 months. Kirli Hanım cheese, “dirty lady,” is a type of Sepet cheese variety which is produced in Ayvalık region. It is a hard cheese made from a blend of goat, sheep and cow's milk, that is shaped into a basket. Beyaz Peynir and Kaşar cheese are specific cheeses for the Thracian region (Edirne, Tekirdağ) which are now produced conventionally in many parts of Turkey.

Keywords: Abaza cheese, Beyaz cheese, Çerkez fume cheese, Ezine cheese, Thrace Kaşar cheese, Lor cheese, Mihalic cheese, Sepet cheese.