Turkey's cheese diversity more than known: Expert

Most studies place the types of cheese produced in Turkey at around 200, but given that the concept of milk processing originated in this region, the number is probably somewhere near 300, according to an expert on the much-loved dairy product.

"Balikesir, in Turkey's Marmara region, alone has 50 types of cheeses, so it is very likely that detailed studies will find many more being produced in Turkey," Neşe Biber, a researcher and author, told Anadolu Agency.

She stressed that domestication of animals, consumption of milk, and using it to make yoghurt and cheese are significant parts of Anatolian history.

"Cheese has been made in Anatolia since 7,000 B.C., spurred by the use of pots. When pottery vessels became a part of daily life of Neolithic people, the first cheeses were produced by the natural solidification of milk stored in those vessels," Biber explained.

Today, there are 2,000 varieties of cheese in the world, she added.

Eye on exports

Turkey's cheese exports were $160 million in 2019, a fraction of the world's total of $32 billion, she said.

According to her, the world's advanced economies account for 82% of global cheese exports.

Biber said Turkey only exports industrial cheese products and not the types of cheese it produces locally.

That, she added, is one of the main reasons why the country's position in the world cheese market does not reflect its actual potential.

"The world's cheese production is around 23 million tons, and the EU produces 44% of this figure. In Asia, Turkey remains the leading cheese producer with 707,000 tons in annual output," said Biber.

Turkey's annual milk production is around 23 million tons, with cow milk making up a majority - 20...