Kolot Cheese
A cheese from the Eastern Black Sea region, made from skimmed milk, that stretches and melts with heat. One of the key cheeses used in making "mıhlama/kuymak" with cornmeal.
What Is Kolot Cheese?
Kolot cheese is a cheese specific to the Eastern Black Sea region, mostly made from milk that has had most of its fat removed (buttermilk from churning). Despite its low-fat, firm structure, it has a distinctive texture that stretches and melts when heated.
This melting property makes it the main cheese of the region's famous mıhlama (kuymak) dish. Its taste is plain, slightly tangy-milky; it is also eaten fresh, but its main value is stretching in a hot dish.
Nutritional Values of Kolot Cheese
Since it is made from skimmed milk, kolot cheese contains around 250 kcal of energy per 100 grams, high protein and less fat than many full-fat cheeses; it is rich in calcium. Values are approximate, based on a similar profile.
What Are the Benefits of Kolot Cheese?
With its high protein and calcium content and comparatively low fat, kolot cheese can be considered part of a balanced diet; still, moderate consumption is recommended because of its salt.
This information is general; kolot cheese is a food, not a substitute for medical treatment.
How Is Kolot Cheese Chosen?
Good kolot cheese is white-cream colored, firm yet stretchable, and smells fresh-milky. Yellowed, sour-smelling or bone-dry specimens should not be preferred.
- Color should be white-cream, texture firm-stretchable
- Smell should be fresh-milky
- Sour or bone-dry specimens should not be bought
How Is Kolot Cheese Stored?
Kolot cheese is stored in the refrigerator, wrapped or in a covered container so it does not dry out. There are also varieties salted and kept for long storage in the region; for fresh consumption it should be finished within a reasonable time.
Using Kolot Cheese in the Kitchen
Kolot cheese is used mostly for making mıhlama (kuymak); also in toast, pizza-like hot dishes and cheese-filled pastries. When melted with hot butter and cornmeal, it gives a stretchy, stringy mixture.
How Is Mıhlama (Kuymak) Made?
A little cornmeal is toasted in melted butter, kolot cheese is added and stirred in; it is cooked until the cheese melts and stretches. It is one of the region's most beloved breakfast-snack dishes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does kolot cheese melt?
Its structure is processed to stretch and melt under heat, giving a stringy, flowing mixture in mıhlama; this property sets it apart from some other white cheeses.
Is kolot cheese fat-free?
It is mostly made from skimmed milk, so it is lower in fat than many full-fat cheeses; still, as a cheese it should be consumed in moderation.
Is kolot cheese eaten fresh?
Yes; it is also eaten fresh, but in the region its true fame comes from its melting and stretching property in the hot mıhlama dish.