Tulum
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.
Key Facts
| Country of Origin | Turkey |
| Specific Origin | Turkey |
| Milk Type | Goat |
| Milk Treatment | Raw |
| Forms | Goatskin casing |
| Age | About 6 months |
| Also Known As | tulum peyniri |
What is Tulum Cheese?
Tulum is made in Turkey from goat's milk and ripened inside a goatskin casing. The Turkish word tulum refers to that casing.
The traditional method starts with high-fat goat's milk heated to 30 °C (86 °F) and soured with a starter culture. After about an hour the milk has separated into curds and whey. The curd is cut with special knives, collected in hemp cheesecloth, hung for eight hours, then pressed under a weighted wooden cover. It is cut into pieces the size of a bar of soap, put in brine and cured for 24 hours. The next day it is crushed by hand, kneaded with raw goat's milk and packed tightly into a cleaned, salted goatskin.
Salt goes on top of the filling, the opening is fastened with a cord, and the casing rests in a cave or cellar at 10 to 12 °C (50 to 54 °F) for about six months. Holes in the sides let any residual whey drain.
Commercial tulum works differently. It uses goat's milk with less fat, kneaded with water buffalo or sheep milk, and ripens in cowskin casings or plastic barrels on a faster schedule. The flavor shifts slightly, it keeps less well, and it can turn moldy.
Taste also changes by region. Erzincan, İzmir, Divle in Karaman Province, Çimi in Antalya Province and Kargı in Çorum each use their own techniques. The İzmir version heats raw milk to 60 to 65 °C (140 to 149 °F) and ripens in cans of brine, while Kargı stays closest to the conventional method.
How Does Tulum Cheese Compare?
The most relevant cheeses to compare Tulum against.
