Tulum cheese facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tulum |
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| Country of origin | Turkey |
| Region, town | Erzincan, Izmir, Divle, Çini, Kargı |
| Region | Eastern Anatolia, Aegean, Central Anatolia, Mediterranean, Black Sea |
| Source of milk | Goats |
| Pasteurized | No |
| Texture | Soft-ripened |
| Aging time | 6 months (conventional) |
| Named after | Lua error in Module:Wikidata at line 70: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
Tulum cheese (pronounced too-loom, and called tulum peyniri in Turkish) is a special type of cheese from Turkey. It's made from goat's milk and gets its name from the tulum, which is a goatskin bag. This bag is where the cheese ripens, or ages, giving it a unique taste. People in Turkey often enjoy Tulum cheese as a meze, which are small dishes served before a main meal.
Contents
How Tulum Cheese is Made
Traditional Way
Making Tulum cheese the traditional way starts with heating goat's milk to about 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). Then, a special starter is added to make the milk sour and turn into curds (solid parts) and whey (liquid parts).
The curds are then carefully drained and cut into small cubes. This helps more of the whey drain away. The curds are gathered in clean, wet cheesecloth bags. These bags are hung for about eight hours to let the curds drain and become firm. After that, the curds in the cheesecloth are pressed down with a wooden cover and a weight. This squeezes out even more whey. The firm curds are then cut into pieces and soaked in salty water called brine for a day.
The next day, the curds are crushed by hand and mixed with fresh goat's milk. This mixture is then packed tightly into a clean, salted goatskin bag, which is the tulum. More salt is added on top, and the bag is tied shut. The goatskin bag is stored in a cool place, like a cave or cellar, at about 10 to 12 degrees Celsius (50 to 54 degrees Fahrenheit). The cheese ripens here for about six months. Sometimes, small holes are made in the bag to let any last bits of whey drain out.
Commercial Way
When Tulum cheese is made for stores, it's a bit different from the homemade version. Commercial Tulum cheese often uses goat's milk with less fat. It might also be mixed with water buffalo or sheep milk. Instead of goatskin bags, it's usually ripened in cowskin bags or even plastic barrels.
This commercial process is faster, but it means the cheese might not last as long. Its taste can also be a little different, and sometimes it might get moldy.
Different Kinds of Tulum Cheese
Tulum cheese can taste different depending on where in Turkey it comes from. This is because people in different areas use slightly different ways to make it. Here are some of the most well-known types:
- Tulum cheese of Erzincan
This cheese is made in the Erzincan Province in the Eastern Anatolia Region.
- Tulum cheese of Izmir
The Tulum cheese from Izmir is unique in how it's made and its special taste. It comes from provinces in the Aegean Region like Izmir, Aydın, Manisa, Muğla, and Balıkesir. It's made from raw milk heated to 60-65 degrees Celsius (140-149 degrees Fahrenheit) and then quickly cooled. The curds are brined and then ripened in cans with a salt solution.
- Tulum cheese of Divle
Divle is a village in the Ayrancı district of Karaman Province in the Central Anatolia Region.
- Tulum cheese of Çimi
Çimi is a village in the Akseki district of Antalya Province in the Mediterranean Region.
- Tulum cheese of Kargı
This type is made in Kargı in the Çorum province of the Black Sea Region. It is very similar to the traditional homemade Tulum cheese. About 25 tons of this cheese are made each year. Most of it is eaten in Çorum and nearby provinces like Kastamonu, Samsun, and Ankara.
See also
In Spanish: Queso tulum para niños
