Cheese Database

Pot Cheese vs Tulum

Pot Cheese

Facts

Texture
Semi-hard
Rind
No rind
Country
Iran
Place
Urumia

Pot cheese is a traditional cheese from Urumia, in Iran. Makers pack salted curd into a pot or jug, then leave it to ripen, often in the ground, until the paste turns savory and aromatic. It is not a fresh pot of uncured curds. The ripe cheese is known for a strong smell and a salty taste, and the texture can be firm, crumbly, or almost powdery. Households in the area still make it, and it also appears in local markets.

Tulum

Facts

Texture
Semi-hard
Type
Pressed
Rind
No rind
Country
Turkey
Place
Erzincan, İzmir, Tunceli, Aydın

Tulum is a traditional cheese from Turkey, made in Erzincan, İzmir, Tunceli, and Aydın. Makers pack the curd into a tulum, a cleaned animal skin, or into a tin that copies that old container. The cheese is salty, crumbly, and sharp after it rests. It is a pantry cheese in many Turkish kitchens, not a soft fresh cheese. Buyers usually find it as a white or cream-colored block with a dry break.