Circassian cheese ( , ''adygeyskiy syr''), is a cheese found across the

North Caucasus The North Caucasus, or Ciscaucasia, is a subregion in Eastern Europe governed by Russia. It constitutes the northern part of the wider Caucasus region, which separates Europe and Asia. The North Caucasus is bordered by the Sea of Azov and the B ...

, the

Levant The Levant ( ) is the subregion that borders the Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean sea to the west, and forms the core of West Asia and the political term, Middle East, ''Middle East''. In its narrowest sense, which is in use toda ...

and other areas with a

Circassian diaspora The Circassian diaspora are ethnic Circassians around the world who were driven from Circassia during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. From 1763 to 1864, the Circassians fought against the Russian Empire in the Russian-Circassia ...

. The cheese is prepared with raw cow, sheep and/or goats milk (Adyghean cheese - only with cow milk) and molded into a wooden basket. Circassian cheese is a mild type of cheese that does not melt when baked or fried, and can be crumbled. Circassian cheese is often consumed fresh, or after having been dried by the sun or in the oven. There is also a smoked Circassian cheese. There is an annual festival for Circassian cheese in

Maykop Maykop is the capital city of Adygea, Russia, located on the right bank of the Belaya River. It borders Maykopsky District, from which it is administratively and municipally independent, to the east and south; Giaginsky District to the north, ...

, the capital of the Republic of Adyghea, Russia, held during the Circassian cultural festival with participants from different regions in the North Caucasus, competing in producing the best types of Circassian cheese. The small Circassian community in

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

, most of whom live in

Kfar Kama Kfar Kama (, , ) is a Circassian town located in the Lower Galilee of Israel's northern district, located along road 767, that leads from Kfar Tavor to the Kinneret. It is one of the only two Circassian towns in Israel, the other being Rehan ...

and Rehaniya in the

Upper Galilee The Upper Galilee (, ''HaGalil Ha'Elyon''; , ''Al Jaleel Al A'alaa'') is a geographical region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. Part of the larger Galilee region, it is characterized by its higher elevations and mountainous terra ...

, operates boutique dairies that produce traditional Circassian cheese.Israel's Tiny Circassian Community Maintains Its Culinary Traditions Under Fire
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Haaretz ''Haaretz'' (; originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , , ) is an List of newspapers in Israel, Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel. The paper is published in Hebrew lan ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Circassian Cheese Goat's-milk cheeses Circassian cuisine