🧀 Sulguni
Also known as: suluguni
A Georgian brined cheese that stretches when heated.
Sulguni is a Georgian brined cheese from the Samegrelo (Mingrelia) region in western Georgia. It is made from cow’s, buffalo or goat milk, or a mix of them. The technique is close to pasta filata cheeses: the milk is curdled with rennet, the curd is held until it reaches the right acidity (cheddared), then broken up and melted in hot water, kneaded and stretched into an elastic mass. This is shaped into flat rounds and kept in brine.
Finished sulguni has a layered, springy texture, a moderately salty, slightly sour taste and a colour from white to pale yellow. There is also a smoked version. Since 2012 the name Sulguni has been protected in Georgia as a geographical indication.
Sulguni differs from mozzarella in its density, saltiness and brining, and from Imeretian cheese in that it is melted and stretched, so it becomes stringy when heated. Sulguni is the main cheese for Mingrelian khachapuri; it is fried in breadcrumbs, baked on a ketsi (clay pan), eaten fresh with herbs and served as “sulguni in matsoni”.
How it connects to milk
🧀 Sulguni → made from → 🥛 Cow's milk → type of → 🥛 Milk
Links
- Made from
- 🥛 Cow's milk
- Where it is traditional
- 🌍 Caucasus
- Which peoples make it
- 🧑🤝🧑 Georgians
- Product type
- 🏺 Traditional dairy products
- Part of
- 🧀 Cheese
- Wine and milk
- 🍷 Georgian supra, 🍷 Wine and cheese
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between sulguni and mozzarella?
Both are pasta filata cheeses and become stringy when heated. Sulguni is denser, saltier and kept in brine; mozzarella is a delicate fresh cheese.
What milk is sulguni made from?
Cow’s, buffalo or goat milk, or a mix of them.
What cheese is used in khachapuri?
Usually sulguni, Imeretian cheese or a mix of the two; Mingrelian khachapuri is also topped with sulguni.
Comparisons
What to read next
- 🥛 Cow's milk — The most widespread milk in the world: versatile, inexpensive and the basis of almost all dairy products.
- 🌍 Caucasus — A mountain region between the Black and Caspian Seas: the home of kefir and matsoni.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Georgians — Kartvelian people, the main population of Georgia in the South Caucasus; everyday matsoni and khachapuri cheeses, and qvevri wine at the feast.
- 🏺 Traditional dairy products — Products made for centuries to folk recipes: fermenting, cheesemaking, slow baking, drying. Tied to regions and peoples.
- 🍷 Wine and cheese — A classic pairing: the acidity and tannins of wine refresh rich, salty cheese.
Similar
🧀 Parmesan · 🧀 Camembert · 🧀 Gouda · 🧀 Cheddar · 🧀 Halloumi · 🧶 Oaxaca cheese
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.