Tushetian Guda

The Production of Tushetian Guda

Tushetian Guda is made from fresh, whole milk from either sheep or a mixture of sheep and cow’s milk, which is then ripened in a sheepskin bag.

Guda cheese is made only in the summer, after the Doli (lambing season), ends.

The milk is filtered using a special net, over which the medical herbs are strewn. After that, rennet is added to curdle the milk, and it is covered with a cloak to keep it warm. One hour later, the curdled mass is stirred to break it up, and then covered with the cloak again. Half an hour after that, the whey is drained out of the vessel, and the still-warm cheese is cut, wrapped in a special cloth, placed in a bag to be pressed, and then, after another two hours, placed back into the sheepskin bag.

Four or five pieces of cheese are placed into the bag, with salt between each layer, and the bag is sealed, taken to a cheese room, and covered with a cloak for another two days. The cheese is turned multiple times a day to ensure that the salt settles evenly. The cheese ripens in this bag for sixty days.

Tushetian Guda is considered to be the best accompaniment for mountain Vodka and Dedas puri (Shoti bread).