What Is That? Goatskin Cheese
When we receive visitors from outside the country, the most common question we hear is “what is that?” Inevitably they will be pointing to something that is not quite distinguishable, something that you don’t see everyday, or maybe any day in the States. While we don’t always know the answer (we continue to ask “what is that?” on a regular basis ourselves), we would like to document some of the most memorable and unusual sights we see as part of daily life here in a series of brief posts.
Today’s “What Is That?” post is about goatskin cheese. Yes, you read that right, cheese from the skin of a goat. The local name for it is tulum peyniri, and you can see it in markets, convenience stores, and the side of the street.
This traditional cheese is ripened and stored inside the goatskin. When it is ready to eat or sell, the skin is opened up and you can taste or buy the cheese right out of it. It is not uncommon to see “unopened” skins hanging or sitting in front of stores.
While at first the appearance of the skin may be off-putting to the foreign visitor, the cheese itself is actually quite good. It has a distinct, sharp flavor, and a little bit goes a long way. I would recommend trying it, if only to say you did.
Do you have any “What Is That?” questions regarding life in Turkey? Anything that has caught your eye in a post or perhaps in one of your own visits to this beautiful country? We’re always looking for ideas to write about—reach out with your questions!
To our friends in the West, keep looking East!
Ginny Lou Henley
Ginny Lou is a co-founder of West2East. Originally from Alabama, Ginny Lou has called Turkey home for the past nine years. To read more about her, click here.