Kasseri Cheese vs Tulum Cheese
Kasseri Cheese is a firm to hard goat and sheep-milk cheese from Greece, while Tulum Cheese is a goat-milk cheese, originating in Turkey.
What Is Kasseri Cheese?
Kasseri is a pale yellow, medium-hard to hard Greek cheese made from sheep milk with at most 20% goat's milk. It belongs to the pasta filata family and is best known as the cheese in saganaki and kasseropita.
What Is Tulum Cheese?
Tulum is a Turkish goat's milk cheese ripened inside a goatskin casing, which is what the word tulum means in Turkish. It is made in several regions, and versions from Erzincan, İzmir, Divle, Çimi and Kargı each taste different.
What's the Difference Between Kasseri Cheese and Tulum Cheese?
- Origin: Kasseri Cheese (Greece), Tulum Cheese (Turkey)
- Milk type: Kasseri Cheese (goat's and sheep's milk), Tulum Cheese (goat)
- Milk treatment: Kasseri Cheese (Traditionally raw, increasingly pasteurized), Tulum Cheese (raw)
- Aging: Kasseri Cheese (at least 3 months), Tulum Cheese (about 6 months)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Kasseri Cheese | Tulum Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | Greece | Turkey |
| Specific Origin | Thrace, Macedonia, Thessaly, Lesbos | Turkey |
| Milk Type | Goat's and sheep's milk | Goat |
| Milk Treatment | Traditionally raw, increasingly pasteurized | Raw |
| Texture | Firm to hard | — |
| Rind | Develops as ages | — |
| Aging | At least 3 months | About 6 months |
| Taste | Rich | — |
Taste Comparison: Does Kasseri Cheese Taste Like Tulum Cheese?
Their flavor profiles are distinct. Aging plays into this as well. Kasseri Cheese at at least 3 months develops a different profile than Tulum Cheese at about 6 months.
Can You Substitute Kasseri Cheese for Tulum Cheese?
Kasseri Cheese can stand in for Tulum Cheese in many dishes, but the switch will shift the overall character of the recipe.
Which Is Better, Kasseri Cheese or Tulum Cheese?
There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want.
Which is your favorite?
One click, anonymous. See what others chose.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kasseri Cheese the same as Tulum Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Kasseri Cheese originates in Greece, while Tulum Cheese comes from Turkey. Kasseri Cheese is made from goat and sheep milk; Tulum Cheese uses goat. Aging also differs: Kasseri Cheese is typically aged at least 3 months, Tulum Cheese about 6 months.
Is Kasseri Cheese similar to Tulum Cheese?
Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.
Can I substitute Kasseri Cheese for Tulum Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.
Does Kasseri Cheese taste like Tulum Cheese?
They have distinct flavor profiles. The taste row in the table above is the best direct comparison.
What is Kasseri Cheese made of?
Kasseri Cheese is made from goat and sheep milk (traditionally raw, increasingly pasteurized), using natural rennet. It's typically aged at least 3 months. It originates in Greece.
What is Tulum Cheese made of?
Tulum Cheese is made from goat milk (raw). It's typically aged about 6 months. It originates in Turkey.
Which should I choose, Kasseri Cheese or Tulum Cheese?
It depends on the dish. The table above is the fastest way to decide based on your recipe.