Kırklareli Old Kaşar Cheese, officially registered in Turkish as Kırklareli Eski Kaşar Peyniri, is a firm, matured pasta-filata cheese produced entirely within Kırklareli Province. It is made from milk obtained from animals raised in the region, coagulated with natural rennet, heated and kneaded into large wheels, and matured under carefully controlled conditions for at least six months.
The English phrase “old cheddar cheese” is sometimes used as a convenient translation, including in travel searches, but this product is not British cheddar. It belongs to Türkiye’s own kaşar tradition. Its identity comes from Kırklareli’s pastures, regional dairy farming, traditional hot-curd processing, 12-kilogram wheels, linen sacks, and slow maturation in cool, humid storage rooms. This complete guide explains its history, geographical indication, milk composition, production process, flavour, texture, serving ideas, storage, buying tips, local pairings, and the best ways to experience Kırklareli’s cheese culture.
Produced with milk from animals raised within Kırklareli Province, using either cow’s milk or a registered mixed-milk recipe.
The stretched and kneaded cheese is shaped in substantial round moulds weighing approximately 12 kilograms.
After pre-maturation, the wheels remain in cold, humid storage for at least six months to develop their mature character.
Registered by TÜRKPATENT as a designation of origin with registration number 1408.
Essential information about one of Kırklareli’s most important geographically indicated foods.
Kırklareli Province in Turkish Thrace, where dairy farming and cheese production have long been part of regional life.
Open Kırklareli on Google MapsMade from cow’s milk alone or a regulated mixture of sheep, goat, and cow’s milk from animals raised in Kırklareli.
A firm, aged kaşar produced through curd fermentation, hot-water cooking, kneading, shaping, and extended maturation.
Registered as a designation of origin by TÜRKPATENT on 11 July 2023 with registration number 1408.
A regional cheese shaped by pastoral landscapes, mixed herds, skilled dairies, and patient maturation.
Kırklareli lies in the European part of Türkiye, close to the Bulgarian border and between the fertile Thracian plains, the Istranca Mountains, and the Black Sea. Its climate, pasturelands, villages, and long-established livestock economy created favourable conditions for milk and cheese production.
Sheep, goats, and cattle have all contributed to the region’s dairy culture. Seasonal pasture plants influence the composition and aromatic character of the milk, while generations of cheese makers developed practical knowledge for transforming that milk into products that could be stored, transported, and enjoyed long after the milking season.
Kaşar belongs to the pasta-filata family of cheeses, meaning that the fermented curd is softened in hot water and kneaded until it becomes smooth and elastic. Fresh kaşar can be eaten relatively young, but eski kaşar—literally “old kaşar”—is matured for a much longer period, allowing its texture to become firmer and its flavour more concentrated.
Kırklareli’s version is distinguished by its geographical connection. The protected specification requires the milk to come from animals raised in Kırklareli and the cheese to be produced within the province. The local raw material, traditional technique, large wheel format, and controlled maturation all contribute to its identity.
Today, old kaşar remains both an everyday food and a symbol of Kırklareli’s culinary heritage. Visitors encounter it at delicatessens, dairies, local markets, breakfast tables, restaurants, and shops selling regional products.
Its character develops through the relationship between local milk, natural rennet, hot-curd processing, large wheels, and prolonged maturation.
The milk must come from cattle, sheep, or goats raised within Kırklareli Province. This geographical requirement connects the cheese directly with the region’s climate, vegetation, farms, and dairy economy.
Grasses, legumes, broad-leaved herbs, aromatic plants, and shrubs found in Kırklareli’s grazing areas affect animal nutrition and the qualities of the milk used by local cheese makers.
Natural şirden mayası is used to coagulate the milk. The strength of the rennet is tested before production so the correct amount can be calculated for each batch.
After fermentation, the curd is cooked in hot water and kneaded into a homogeneous, elastic cheese dough. This is one of the defining stages of kaşar production.
The kneaded cheese is placed in round moulds weighing approximately 12 kilograms. The substantial wheel format supports the traditional maturation process and characteristic interior texture.
After its preliminary maturation, the cheese is placed in food-safe linen sacks before entering the main cold-storage maturation period.
The main maturation lasts at least six months in cold rooms maintained at 2–4°C and more than 90 percent relative humidity.
Time concentrates the cheese’s flavour and creates a firm, sliceable texture. The result is richer, saltier, and more complex than young kaşar.
Kırklareli Eski Kaşar Peyniri is officially protected by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office as a menşe adı, or designation of origin. This is the strongest geographical connection used in Türkiye’s geographical-indication system: the raw material and all essential production stages are tied to the defined region.
The official name is Kırklareli Eski Kaşar Peyniri.
The product carries geographical-indication registration number 1408.
The designation was registered on 11 July 2023.
The registration holder is the Kırklareli Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The defined geographical boundary is the entire province of Kırklareli. The protected specification covers the origin and composition of the milk, production controls, curd handling, hot-water cooking, kneading, salting, wheel size, pre-maturation, linen sacks, main maturation, packaging, storage, labelling, and inspection.
Authentic products using the registered name should display both the wording Kırklareli Eski Kaşar Peyniri and the Turkish designation-of-origin emblem on the product or its packaging. If this is not possible, the wording and emblem must be displayed visibly at the business.
The registered specification permits two approaches. Producers may use cow’s milk alone, or they may use a defined blend of sheep, goat, and cow’s milk. In every case, the milk must come from animals raised within Kırklareli Province.
The cheese may be produced entirely from cow’s milk sourced within Kırklareli.
In the mixed-milk version, sheep’s milk forms approximately 30–45% of the blend.
Goat’s milk forms approximately 25–40% of the registered mixed-milk blend.
Cow’s milk forms approximately 15–30% of the mixed-milk recipe.
The milk is checked for antibiotics, preservatives, acidity, density, fat, and non-fat dry matter. It must have a pH above 6.40 and a density within the protected specification’s 1.028–1.045 g/ml range. After milking, it is cooled to 4–6°C within two to three hours.
The protected production method combines dairy science with traditional kaşar-making knowledge. Each stage affects the elasticity, moisture, salt balance, rind, texture, and final aroma of the cheese.
At the end of maturation, the natural outer crust is removed with a knife. The cheese may then be sold as a whole wheel, divided into large sections, or cut into triangular retail wedges.
Milk composition and ambient conditions change through the year, so the protected method uses different preliminary heating ranges before coagulation. From April to October, the milk is initially heated to 30–32°C; from November to March, it is heated to 32–35°C. It is then brought to approximately 35°C in the processing tank for renneting.
Correct temperature allows the natural rennet to form a suitable curd without damaging the qualities of the milk.
Heating the cut curd to 38–40°C helps separate whey and encourages the elastic structure needed for kaşar.
Cooking fermented curd at 65–75°C makes it pliable enough to stretch and knead into a smooth mass.
Cold, humid storage slows and controls ageing while the cheese develops its firm texture and mature aroma.
Maturation is the stage that transforms newly shaped kaşar into eski kaşar. It is not simply a matter of leaving the cheese to become older. Temperature, humidity, turning, airflow, wheel size, and time must work together.
The 12-kilogram wheels rest for 20–30 days in dedicated rooms before entering the main maturation stage.
Each wheel is turned every day during the resting period to promote even shape and moisture distribution.
After the first week, the wheels may be arranged two high for the remainder of pre-maturation.
Linen-covered wheels remain in cold, highly humid storage for a minimum of six months.
During this long period, moisture gradually changes, the body becomes firmer, and flavour compounds develop. This patient ageing produces the savoury intensity and complex finish that distinguish old kaşar from young kaşar.
Kırklareli Old Kaşar has a concentrated dairy flavour, a firm body, noticeable savouriness, and a lingering mature finish. Exact flavour varies with milk composition, season, producer, and age.
Expect a pronounced aged-cheese aroma that may suggest cultured butter, warm milk, cellar notes, and regional herbs.
The cheese is firm and sliceable, with a dense, cohesive structure created by kneading and prolonged maturation.
Its taste is rich, salty, savoury, and more intense than fresh kaşar, often with a pleasantly tangy finish.
Versions containing sheep and goat’s milk may show greater aromatic intensity than those made only with cow’s milk.
Allow a refrigerated piece to rest briefly at cool room temperature before tasting. This softens the texture slightly and makes the aroma easier to appreciate. Do not leave dairy products unrefrigerated for extended periods.
Old kaşar is versatile enough for a Turkish breakfast, a simple tasting plate, hot dishes, sandwiches, pastries, and appetisers. Thin slices reveal its texture, while small cubes make it easy to compare with other regional cheeses.
The region’s non-alcoholic fermented grape drink brings fruit, gentle acidity, and mustard-seed character to a cheese tasting.
Rustic bread provides a neutral base and makes the dense texture and mature flavour easier to appreciate.
Nuts complement the cheese’s savoury, buttery, and aged notes while adding contrasting crunch.
Grapes, figs, pears, apples, or melon provide sweetness and freshness against the salt and intensity of the cheese.
A small amount of honey, grape molasses, or fruit preserve can create a balanced sweet-and-savoury combination.
Strong black tea is the classic choice when the cheese is served as part of a traditional breakfast.
Visitors can find old kaşar at established cheese shops, local-product stores, delicatessens, markets, dairies, breakfast venues, and restaurants across Kırklareli Province. The city centre offers the greatest concentration of shops, while village and district producers may provide a more direct dairy experience.
Specialist shops often stock different ages, producers, milk compositions, and wedge sizes for comparison.
Markets can be useful for discovering regional foods, but ask about the producer, maturation period, and storage conditions.
Some production businesses sell directly to visitors. Opening hours and visitor access should be confirmed in advance.
Traditional breakfast spreads may include old kaşar alongside white cheese, olives, eggs, honey, bread, and tea.
Availability, prices, tasting opportunities, and operating hours can change. For a protected product, look for the full registered Turkish name and the designation-of-origin emblem rather than relying only on the general phrase eski kaşar.
Look for “Kırklareli Eski Kaşar Peyniri” on the label, not merely “old kaşar” or “aged cheese.”
The Turkish menşe adı emblem identifies the product as a protected designation of origin.
Find out whether the cheese is made only from cow’s milk or from the registered sheep-goat-cow blend.
Protected Kırklareli Old Kaşar must complete at least six months of main maturation after its preliminary ageing.
Choose clean, intact packaging with producer information, lot details, storage instructions, and a valid date.
Buy from a business that maintains the cheese under proper refrigerated conditions.
When samples are offered, compare aroma, salt, firmness, aftertaste, and the character of different milk blends.
For long trips, ask for sealed packaging and use an insulated bag with suitable cold packs.
The official specification states that the product is kept at 4–6°C for retail storage. Once opened, careful wrapping helps prevent the cut surface from drying and protects the cheese from absorbing odours from other foods.
Vacuum-packed and protective-atmosphere products have different storage lives under the official specification, but visitors should always follow the specific use-by date and instructions on the package they purchase.
Kırklareli’s culinary identity reflects Thracian agriculture, Balkan influences, village traditions, forest landscapes, vineyards, livestock farming, and seasonal produce.
A non-alcoholic fermented grape drink traditionally flavoured with mustard seed and often associated with Kırklareli.
A brined regional cheese made within the province and enjoyed at breakfast, in salads, and with local bread.
Thracian-style grilled meatballs are served in restaurants across the province, often with peppers, tomatoes, bread, and piyaz.
Wood-fired and rustic breads make a natural companion to mature cheese, olives, honey, and breakfast dishes.
Seasonal mushrooms from the Istranca landscape appear in local cooking, but wild mushrooms should only be consumed from trusted sources.
Look for milk desserts, syrup-based pastries, and recipes reflecting the shared culinary traditions of Thrace and the Balkans.
A cheese-tasting stop can be included in a wider journey through Kırklareli’s prehistoric sites, Ottoman monuments, Black Sea villages, forests, caves, and coastal landscapes.
Explore the city centre, museums, historic neighbourhoods, local markets, food shops, and the wider province’s cultural heritage.
Discover an important prehistoric settlement that illuminates early farming communities in Turkish Thrace.
Explore the story of a Bronze Age settlement with cultural connections reaching across the Balkans and Anatolia.
Visit Kırklareli’s celebrated cave system in the forested landscapes of the Istranca Mountains.
Experience beech and oak forests, streams, villages, biodiversity, and the rural landscapes behind Kırklareli’s food traditions.
See a historic Black Sea town surrounded by rivers, wooded hills, beaches, and Byzantine and Ottoman heritage.
Discover an ancient theatre, Byzantine heritage, castle remains, traditional streets, and the landscapes of eastern Thrace.
Travel to the Black Sea coast near İğneada for maritime history and expansive views close to Türkiye’s northwestern frontier.
It is a firm, aged Turkish kaşar produced in Kırklareli from regional milk and natural rennet. The curd is fermented, cooked in hot water, kneaded, shaped into large wheels, and matured for at least six months.
The official registered name is Kırklareli Eski Kaşar Peyniri. “Eski” means old or aged, while “kaşar peyniri” refers to the Turkish cheese style.
No. “Old cheddar” is sometimes used as an approximate English search term, but Kırklareli Eski Kaşar is a Turkish pasta-filata cheese with its own milk rules, hot-curd technique, wheel format, and maturation tradition.
Yes. It is registered by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office as a designation of origin with registration number 1408.
The geographical indication was registered on 11 July 2023 following an application by the Kırklareli Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The protected geographical boundary is Kırklareli Province in the European part of Türkiye. The milk and production stages are tied to this region.
Producers may use cow’s milk alone or a registered blend containing 30–45% sheep’s milk, 25–40% goat’s milk, and 15–30% cow’s milk.
Yes. The protected specification requires milk obtained from animals raised within Kırklareli Province.
Natural şirden mayası is used. Its strength is tested before coagulation so the correct amount can be added to the milk.
The milk is tested, warmed, coagulated, cut, heated, drained, pressed, fermented, grated, cooked in hot water, kneaded with rock salt, shaped into wheels, pre-matured, and then aged in linen sacks.
The protected production method shapes the cheese in round moulds weighing approximately 12 kilograms.
Following 20–30 days of preliminary maturation, the cheese undergoes at least six months of main maturation in cold, highly humid storage.
It is firm, rich, salty, savoury, and more concentrated than fresh kaşar. The exact aroma and intensity vary with the milk blend, producer, season, and length of ageing.
Yes. Extended maturation reduces moisture and develops a firmer texture, stronger aroma, deeper savouriness, and longer finish.
The registered method uses natural animal rennet, so it is generally not suitable for people who avoid animal-rennet cheeses. Check the producer’s label if this is important to you.
It is commonly sliced for breakfast or a cheese plate and served with bread, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, walnuts, fruit, honey, preserves, hardaliye, or Turkish tea.
Yes. It can be grated or sliced into toast, börek, pide, omelettes, pasta, baked vegetables, and other savoury dishes. Use additional salt carefully.
Look in established cheese shops, delicatessens, local-product stores, markets, dairies, and selected food businesses across Kırklareli Province.
Look for the complete name “Kırklareli Eski Kaşar Peyniri,” the designation-of-origin emblem, producer details, proper packaging, and refrigerated storage.
Keep it refrigerated according to the producer’s instructions. The official specification uses 4–6°C for storage, while the package date and directions should always take priority.
Usually yes, if it is properly sealed and kept cold. Check airline rules, customs restrictions, and animal-product import regulations for your destination before travelling.
Yes. It is one of the clearest ways to experience Kırklareli’s pastoral landscape, dairy history, protected food heritage, and distinctive Thracian flavours.
Large golden wheels, textured cut surfaces, old dairy equipment, linen sacks, wooden counters, village bread, grapes, walnuts, and glasses of hardaliye can all communicate the cheese’s regional story.
Photograph stacked or displayed wheels to show the impressive scale and traditional round form.
A close view of a cut surface reveals colour, density, texture, and signs of prolonged maturation.
Include scales, knives, labels, wooden boards, paper wrapping, and the interaction between shopkeeper and customer.
Arrange old kaşar with white cheese, bread, grapes, walnuts, preserves, olives, and hardaliye.
With permission, photograph moulding, turning, wrapping, storage, or cutting to illustrate the human skill behind the product.
Connect the finished cheese with pasturelands, livestock, village roads, forests, and the agricultural scenery of Thrace.
Always ask permission before photographing producers, staff, farms, dairies, storage rooms, or private production areas. Food-safety rules may restrict access inside working facilities.
Discover Kırklareli Old Kaşar as part of a privately designed journey combining Thracian food, prehistoric settlements, Ottoman heritage, forest landscapes, caves, vineyards, and the Black Sea coast.
Custom-designed services with private transportation, professional guiding, flexible timing, and opportunities to meet local producers when available.
Explore Kırklareli’s food culture through old kaşar, white cheese, hardaliye, local markets, breakfast traditions, and carefully selected regional producers, subject to availability.
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