Turkish coffee
Çoban salatası (shepherd's salad)
Çılbır
15 minMedium
Kuymak (Black Sea cornmeal and cheese) recipe
Black Sea kuymak with butter, cornmeal and stringy cheese in 20 minutes. Step-by-step heat control for stretchy cheese and butter that separates.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Makes
- 3 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Region
- Trabzon
- Per serving
- ~470 kcal
Method
Toast the flour
Melt the butter over a low heat in a small pan or saç dish. Add the cornmeal and toast, stirring constantly, until it smells nutty.
Add the water
Add the hot water a little at a time, whisking quickly so no lumps form. Add the salt. Cook, stirring, until thickened.
Add the cheese
Tear in the cheese. Stir with a wooden spoon in one direction until the cheese melts and turns stringy.
Let the butter separate
Lower the heat and stop stirring. When the butter starts to separate at the edges, serve hot in the dish.
Tips
- If the cheese is salty, do not add salt with the water. Taste at the end.
- The type of cheese is what makes it stretch: fresh kashar works, but white cheese will not stretch.
- It stiffens as it cools. Warm briefly over the heat and eat at once.
Storage
Best eaten fresh. Leftovers keep in the fridge for 1 day and are reheated over a low heat with a little water.
About Kuymak (Black Sea cornmeal and cheese)
Kuymak, also known as mıhlama in the eastern Black Sea, is a breakfast dish of cornmeal and cheese. Around Trabzon and Rize it is served in the pan with cornbread.
Nutrition
| Energy | 470 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 21 g |
| Fat | 36 g |
| Carbohydrate | 15 g |
Frequently asked questions
Are kuymak and mıhlama the same thing?
Depending on the region, both names are used for the same dish. Proportions vary from home to home, but the base is butter, cornmeal and cheese.
Why does my kuymak not stretch?
Either the cheese is not a stretching type or the heat is too high. Use kuymak cheese, tel peynir or fresh kashar and stir over a low heat.
