Kaşkaval (Kaşer/Kasseri)
A semi-hard cheese common in the Balkans and Anatolia, made from sheep or mixed milk and known for its stretchy texture and mildly sweet flavor. Popular on toast, pide, and at the table.
What Is Kaskaval (Kasseri)?
Kaskaval (kasseri in Greece, close to the kaşar tradition in Anatolia) is a semi-hard cheese common in the Balkans and Eastern Mediterranean, made from sheep's or sheep-cow mixed milk. Its most distinctive feature is the stringy-elastic structure it gains from the cheese curd being kneaded and stretched in hot water (similar to pasta filata).
Its interior is light yellow, its texture firm but elastic; its taste is sweetish, salty, and rich. Since it melts in strings with heat, it is the sought-after cheese for hot recipes like toast and pide. It's a close relative of Turkey's kaşar.
Nutritional Values of Kaskaval
As a semi-hard cheese, kaskaval contains high protein, fat, and calcium; it provides about 370 kcal of energy per 100 grams. Being cheese, its sodium is also notable; moderate consumption is recommended. Values vary by milk type and maturity; they are approximate.
How Should Kaskaval Be Consumed?
Since kaskaval is a cheese containing fat and sodium, it's consumed in moderation as part of a balanced diet. It's used sliced at breakfast, melted in hot recipes; its matured (aged) variety is saltier and more intense, so a smaller amount is enough.
This information is general; kaskaval is a food, not a substitute for medical treatment.
How Is Kaskaval Selected?
Good kaskaval has a light yellow interior, a firm-elastic texture, a pleasant smell, and an intact rind. Depending on purpose, fresh (softer, sweetish) or aged (firm, salty-intense) is chosen; those with an off smell or unwanted mold are not preferred.
- Interior should be light yellow and elastic
- Fresh/aged should be chosen based on purpose
- Smell should be pleasant, rind intact
How Is Kaskaval Stored?
Kaskaval is stored in the refrigerator, wrapped in cheese paper so it can breathe; airtight wrapping causes sweating. The aged variety lasts longer; the cut surface is kept covered.
Using Kaskaval in the Kitchen
Kaskaval is used most often in toast, pide, sandwiches, pastries, and on a cheese plate; also grated over pasta and gratins. Its stringy melt makes it sought-after in hot, melting recipes; its aged variety, grated, adds a salty taste to dishes.
Are Kaskaval and Kaşar the Same?
They're close relatives; Turkey's kaşar is a continuation of the kaskaval tradition. Both are stringy-melting, yellow table cheeses; regional names and milk mixes create differences.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does kaskaval melt in strings?
The elastic structure the cheese curd gains from being kneaded and stretched in hot water provides a stringy-flowing melt with heat. That's why it's loved in toast and pide.
What's the difference between fresh kaskaval and aged kaskaval?
Fresh kaskaval is softish and sweetish, while aged (matured) kaskaval is firm, dry, and saltier-more intense. Fresh is more suitable for melting, aged for grating.
Is kaskaval suitable for toast?
Yes; thanks to its stringy melt, it's one of the classic cheeses for toast. It's used alone or together with other cheeses.