Chechil

Chechil or chechili is an Armenian brined string cheese,Petrosian., I. and Underwood., D. (2006). Armenian Food: Fact, Fiction and Folklore. Yerkir Publishing, Bloomington, Indiana, USA. popular in Armenia and Georgia. It has a consistency like mozzarella or sulguni. It is made  rolled up in a figure eight like  thick braid-shaped ropes. Chechil is a smoked, braided, salty, string-cheese beer snack that is enjoyed by beer drinkers and enthusiasts. Chechil is made from pasteurized cow milk and is low in fat. Its taste is salty, very chewy, and with a smoky flavor to it. Its consistency is firm and smooth.

Chechil is one of the cheeses produced in the Armenian Highlands and is also called husats or tel. It is a kneaded or pulled cheese, and the art of the cheese-maker is in stretching it thin so that it yields a "chicken-breast texture". The cheese is often sold braided in thick ropes. Curd is given a hot whey bath. Then it is kneaded and stretched to the desirable, pliable consistency. In the Western world, chechil panir is often called Armenian string cheese. Armenian refugees who settled in Syria after the Armenian genocide of 1915 introduced it in the country. In Turkey, chechil is called çeçil or tel peyniri. It is widely popular there. It is  produced in Erzurum and in Ardahan. In Russia, it is very popular with  beer in bars.  Chechil is also produced in the USA. In the UK, Meskhuri Chechili is a "protected geographical indication" by agreement between the UK and Georgian governments.

Chechil is matured in brine and often smoked. It is sometimes mixed with  other hard cheeses, and is stored in jars or wine skins.

Nutrient content:
 Fat — 5–10%
 Water — 58–60%
 Salt — 4–8%

Because of its low fat content, chechil is often used as diet food.

References

Category:Armenian food
Category:Georgian food
Category:Cheeses