Eggs & dairy · Semi-hard cheese

Kaşar cheese

Mild, pale yellow semi-hard Turkish cheese that melts smoothly; used in beğendi, toasts, pide and börek.

Also called: kashar, kasar peyniri, kaşar peyniri, kashkaval

Around the world: kaşar peyniri (tr) · кашкавал (bg)

A kind of cheese

What it is

A stretched-curd (pasta filata) cheese made from cow's, sheep's or mixed milk, sold young (taze kaşar) and mild or aged (eski kaşar) and sharper. It is closely related to the kashkaval of the Balkans. It slices neatly and melts into long strings.

How it’s used

Grated into the aubergine purée for hünkar beğendi
Melted in toasted sandwiches (kaşarlı tost) and on pide
Sliced for breakfast plates
Baked into börek and gratins

Characteristics

Taste: Mild, milky and slightly salty when young; nutty and sharper when aged.
Texture: Smooth, springy and sliceable; stretchy when melted.
Sold as: whole
Cooking uses: Usually eaten raw, Commonly cooked, Suitable for baking
Common in: Turkish, Balkan, Bulgarian