Türkiye’s Kars introduces its distinctive flavors to world

Nestled near the borders of Armenia and Georgia, Kars is a hidden gem in Türkiye known as the country's cheese capital. This quaint city, rich in history and cultural influences from various empires, is now making a name for itself with its unique cheesemaking traditions.

The journey begins on the Doğu Ekspresi (Eastern Express) from Ankara, which traverses the Euphrates River and concludes 1,300 kilometres (808 miles) later in the lesser-known city of Kars, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Just an hour's drive from both Georgia and Armenia, Kars has historically been a contested territory among numerous empires and kingdoms. Its skyline is dominated by a majestic 12th-century castle, alongside minarets, Orthodox church domes, and Russian blockhouses, reflecting a rich tapestry of Roman, Byzantine, Armenian, Seljuk Turk, Ottoman, and Czarist Russian influences, all set against misty mountain backdrops. Remarkably, the influences of these past empires endure not only in the architecture but also in the region's unique cheese.

Kars is renowned for its cheesemaking traditions, which have roots in Russian exile.

Now recognized as Türkiye’s cheese capital, a new museum has been established to honour this cheesy heritage, while local cheesemakers work to showcase the culinary treasures of eastern Türkiye to a broader audience. "Kars cheese is well-known across Türkiye," stated Şeyma Çay, who designs itineraries for Silk Road Moments, a travel specialist focusing on eastern Türkiye. 

"Kars' Kashar is one of the country's most delightful cheeses. The fame of local cheeses stems from the diverse range of plant species in the area that animals graze on, resulting in exceptionally rich milk that enhances the flavors."

Along Kars' main street, cheese shops—known as mandira—were bustling with tour groups, primarily Turkish, sampling and purchasing local delicacies like Kars Kashar, an aged cheese made from cow and sheep's milk, and Kars Gravyer, a hard cheese reminiscent of Swiss Gruyère but with a flavor profile closer to Emmental. I lost track of the numerous cheesemongers as I made my way to the Kars Peyniri Muzesi (Kars Cheese Museum), where replicas of Kars Gravyer welcomed visitors at the entrance to a cold concrete fortress built in 1734, originally designed to defend Ottoman Kars from the advancing Russian Empire. 

"When the Russians annexed Kars in 1878, they utilized this stronghold to store cheese," explained Birol Aydin, the museum's storyteller and guide. "Eight thousand years ago, people were making cheese along the Euphrates," he noted, highlighting that Türkiye's cheese-making traditions trace back to ancient times. 

"When Turkish nomads roamed Central Asia, they crafted cheese, and there are written references to Anatolian cheese dating as far back as the 12th century CE."

The Russians, who occupied much of present-day Eastern Türkiye from 1878 to 1918, exiled a religious group known as the Molokans to the region, inadvertently introducing modern cheese-making traditions to Kars. The term Molokan translates to "milk drinkers," and followers of this sect faced scorn in Russia for consuming dairy during fasting periods, such as Lent. Kars is situated at an elevation of 1,756 meters (5,761 feet), where Molokan dairy farms flourished in the harsh climate, relying on animal husbandry to endure the long winters. 

By Naila Huseynova