Kars Gravyer Cheese

Hard Swiss-style cheese produced in Kars, a legacy of Russian and Swiss dairy traditions

Kars gravyer is one of Turkey's most distinctive regional cheeses — a hard, cooked-curd cheese modelled on Swiss Gruyère, produced in and around Kars from the milk of cattle raised on the high Anatolian plateau. The local cheese shops (peynirci) along the main streets of Kars sell it at various ages, from the relatively mild 6-month version to aged wheels that have been maturing for over a year.

The cheese is sold vacuum-packed for travellers. The best shops also carry other local dairy products — butter, kasar, and the local honey produced from the wildflower meadows of the plateau. Kars has enough of a food identity around its dairy products that food tourists visit specifically to stock up; the markets and cheese shops are busiest in the mornings. A piece of gravyer with local bread and honey is the simplest and most characteristically Kars meal there is.

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A story
Kars gravyer (gruyère) was introduced to the region by Russian settlers after the 1878 annexation, who brought dairy farming expertise from the Caucasus. Swiss cheesemakers were subsequently brought in to establish a proper dairy industry in the early 20th century. The cheese is made from the milk of cattle that graze the high plateau meadows, which gives it a flavour distinct from European gruyère — slightly more rustic, with a stronger pasture note.