Circassian cheese

Circassian Cheese
Other names	Adyghe: (адыгэ Къуае)
Country of origin	Circassia
Region, town	North Caucasus
Region	Caucasus
Source of milk	Sheep and goat per PDO
Pasteurised	Depends on variety
Texture	Depends on variety
Aging time	min. 3 months

Circassian Cheese (Adyghe: адыгэ Къуае, Arabic: جبنة شركسيّة‎, Russian: Адыгейский сыр, Turkish: Çerkez peyniri) is a cultural cheese and staple for Circassians that is very famous in Russia (Republic of Adyghea, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, Shapsugia in the southern part of Krasnodar Krai, Stavropol Krai, North Ossetia, Moscow, and Saint Petersburg), and the Middle east countries (Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Israel) and worldwide (mainly countries that have a North Caucasians and Circassians Diaspora/s).

The Circassian Cheese is a very mild type of cheese that does not melt when baked or fried, and can be crumbled similarly to feta cheese.

There is an annual special festival for the Circassian Cheese in Maikop the capital of the Republic of Adyghea held during the Circassian cultural festival with a participants from different regions in the North Caucasus, competing in producing the best types of the Circassian Cheese. The last one took place on 4 October 2010.^[1][2]

References

1. ^ http://www.mkra.ru/news.php?pg=1&news=482 Via the Ministry of Culture of Adygeya (Russian Language)
2. ^ http://www.kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/174304/ Via Kavkaz-Uzel (Russian Language)