Lighvan cheese
A sour brined cheese from sheep's milk in Iran.
Lighvan cheese is a sour, brined curd cheese originating from the village of Liqvan in Iran, where it is traditionally made from sheep's milk. It is a popular traditional Iranian cheese, produced from raw ewe's milk and aged in a salt brine for three to four months at around 10 °C. Despite its popularity, its chemical makeup and microbial communities have not been extensively studied.
To make it, rennet tablets are used to coagulate the milk. The curd is then packed into triangular cloth bags and left to drain thoroughly. Once drained, the triangular blocks, about 20 centimeters thick, are removed from the bags and placed in earthenware pots. They are covered with salt and left for two days.
The cheese is typically eaten at breakfast or dinner with fresh bread. Similar brined cheeses are found in many countries, including Albania, Bulgaria, Egypt, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Israel, Lebanon, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine.
Quick Facts
- Place Of Origin
- Iran
- Region
- Liqvan
- Associated Cuisine
- Iranian cuisine
- Creator
- <!-- or
- Serving Size
- 100 g
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Lighvan cheese is a starter-free cheese produced in the north-west of Iran. The milk is coagulated with rennet tablets, and the curd is packed into triangular cloth bags to drain thoroughly. The resulting triangular blocks, about 20 cm thick, are removed from the bag and placed in an earthenware pot, covered with salt for two days. The cheese then ripens in 10 to 12% salt brine for 3 or 4 months at an average temperature of 10 ± 2 °C.
Reader's Guide
Lighvan cheese holds significance as a traditional Iranian cheese with a distinct sour and briny character, made from raw sheep's milk without starter cultures. Its production method—using rennet, cloth bags, and earthenware pots—reflects artisanal practices. Despite its popularity, the article notes that there are few studies on its chemical composition and microbial communities, indicating a gap in scientific understanding. The cheese is typically served for breakfast or dinner with fresh bread. It belongs to the broader family of brined cheeses, with similar varieties found across the Balkans, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, including feta, sirene, and beyaz peynir. Its legacy lies in its enduring place in Iranian cuisine and its connection to a global tradition of white brined cheeses.
Did You Know?
- Lighvan cheese is traditionally made from raw ewe's milk in Liqvan, a village in Iran.
- The cheese ripens in 10 to 12% salt brine for 3 to 4 months at about 10 °C.
- The curd is packed into triangular cloth bags and then placed in an earthenware pot with salt for two days.
- Similar cheeses include feta (Greece), sirene (Bulgaria), and beyaz peynir (Turkey).
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