Cheese Database

Beyaz peynir vs Lighvan cheese

Beyaz peynir

Facts

Texture
Semi-soft
Type
Brined
Rind
No rind
Country
Turkey

Beyaz peynir is the everyday white cheese of Turkey, and the name simply means white cheese. Blocks are salted and kept in brine, so the paste stays moist, bright white, and free of a rind. Traditional production uses unpasteurized milk, and the cheese can range from a fresh mild curd to a firmer, sharper block. It stands with other white brine cheeses rather than with pressed yellow wheels. Shoppers across Turkey meet it in slices and in packed blocks.

Lighvan cheese

Facts

Milk
Sheep
Texture
Semi-soft
Type
Brined
Rind
No rind
Country
Iran
Place
Liqvan

Lighvan is a brined sheep's milk cheese from Liqvan in Iran. The curds are white, salty, and tangy, with a texture that can be crumbly or slightly supple. Makers drain the cheese and then hold it in brine, which is the step that defines the taste. There is no bloomy rind and no long dry aging on a shelf. Iranians know it best as a breakfast cheese with bread.