Turkish Cheese 4 - Labneh

Strictly speaking, labneh isn't really a cheese, it's a thoroughly strained yogurt. But I'm including it in this overview because it's often referred to as "yogurt cheese."

The labneh available at my local store is made by Ülker, a major Turkish manufacturer of food products for international export. It's smooth and mild, with a rich buttery taste and just the slightest hint of yogurt's sourness - in fact, it reminds me more of crème fraîche than it does of other strained yogurts I've had. I especially enjoy it spread on toast in the morning, topped with a bit of blackcurrant jam.

You can use it as an alternative to sour cream or cream cheese for dips, spreads, or canapes (try stirring in some chopped green olives and using it to stuff tender little celery sticks. Delicious.) And labneh's buttery taste makes it go beautifully with fruit.

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Turkish Cheese 3 - Çeçil peyniri

Çeçil peyniri is another kind of "string cheese" from Turkey. It's made by collecting the curds on a paddle and then kneading them for a few minutes on a table. The kneaded curds are then hung to stretch under their own weight. This stretching process is repeated until the curds take on a smooth, plastic-like consistency and a fibrous texture. The prepared curds are cut into six-inch lengths and set into brine to cure.

Çeçil peyniri's flavor is very similar to a young, mild cheddar. It's great for snacking, and it melts nicely in sandwiches and on burgers.

Turkish Cheese 2 - Braided Cheese (Örgü peyniri)

Turkish braided cheese, or örgü peyniri, is a delicious sort of string cheese made by boiling strained curds in salted water. The curds, made "doughy" by the heat, are then stretched into long lengths, then braided and either vacuum-packed (with or without marinade) or packaged in brine. I'm told that in Turkey, it is often eaten as a part of breakfast - like many other Turkish cheeses. One of the varieties at the local market is pictured at right: it's packaged with red chile peppers and chopped parsley, and it is one of the best string-style cheeses I've ever had. Surprisingly, the red chile peppers only lend the barest touch of heat - the cheese is mild and resembles mozzarella.

Örgü peyniri is somewhat comparable to the string cheese you buy in the supermarket, but there are some differences. Braided cheese seems to be cured less than "string cheese;" it's whiter, and has a taste that is milkier and less mozzarella-like. It's also "tougher" - the strands offer more resistance to chewing, and the fibers can be pulled off in finer threads than ordinary string cheese. The ropes of cheese in the braids I buy are almost three feet long, and they peel out in much finer and stronger filaments than grocery-store string cheese. It's pretty funny to watch my dog eat one of the cheese strings - I let him grab on to one end of the string and he sort of snaps and sucks it in, like a long strand of spaghetti.

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Turkish Cheese 1 - Piknik White Cheese

The produce store in my hometown is owned and operated by a Turkish gentleman and his family, and now that the store is well-established and doing a brisk business, he's started to expand his selection to include some Turkish and Eastern European specialties. Turkey has a long tradition of dairying, so it's natural that he offers several wonderful kinds of Turkish cheeses.

White Cheese (beyaz peynir) was one of the first ones I tried. It is a simple cheese, made from either sheep or cow's milk, which is cultured with rennet then strained, salted in brine, and packed into tins. The brand at left, Dairyland, is made from cow's milk and the tin contains two round loaves of the cheese in its brine. In Turkey, White Cheese is commonly eaten at breakfast, in omelets, or as an appetizer with raki (traditional Turkish firewater.)

To this American palate, it is similar to feta, but moister (less crumbly) and with a fresher, milkier taste. There is a distinct sour tang, but White Cheese is both less salty than feta and more mild. It reminded me, in particular, of a young, mild cheddar. The flavor is very complimentary to tomatoes and onions, and one of my favorite starters using White Cheese is Domates Salatasi (Tomato Salad.) Combine half a pound of halved cherry tomatoes with some thinly sliced red onion. Add some olives. Sprinkle liberally with chopped parsley, then dress with olive oil and lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. If you prefer a traditional recipe, use this one at Binnur's Turkish Cookbook as a foundation and go from there.

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