Centuries-Old Cave Cheese Tradition Continues in Meram

A centuries-old tradition in Kızılören Neighborhood of Meram is being preserved with the same care and dedication once again this year. The area’s natural caves have once again begun housing tuluk cheeses, each prepared through painstaking craftsmanship.

Every year, beginning in June and July, villagers place their handcrafted cheeses in the caves, which are renowned for their naturally cool and humid conditions. Left to mature for four to five months without any additives, the cheeses rely entirely on nature’s ideal environment before being brought back out at the end of October. On that day, it is not only the cheese that returns to the surface, but also a centuries-old tradition shaped by patience, craftsmanship, and cultural heritage. As part of this year’s preparations for the Cave Cheese Festival, Meram Municipality has also placed its specially prepared tuluk cheeses in the caves of Kızılören. The cheeses, which will be served to visitors during the festival at the end of October, have now been entrusted to nature.

In Kızılören, cheese-making is more than food production—it is a way of life passed down through generations. Before dawn, village women begin processing the milk by separating the cream, heating it, adding rennet, and carefully preparing the cheese over several days before packing it into traditional tuluk skins. Miyase Koyuncu, who has been making cheese for many years, described the process:

“We separate the cream from the milk, then heat it and run it through a machine. After removing the cream, we add the rennet. We boil it, pour it into strainers, and press out the whey with stones. Then we pack it into the tuluk skins and place it in the caves. It is taken out at the end of October or the beginning of November. Once it has stayed in the cave, it develops its full flavor.”

What makes Kızılören’s tuluk cheese unique is not only the milk used in its production. The traditional tuluk bags, made from goat or sheep skin, allow the cheese to breathe, while the cave’s natural climate gives it its distinctive aroma. Local resident Ahmet Koyuncu emphasized the importance of preserving the tradition:

“Because the tuluk is made of animal skin, the cheese is better protected. It is healthier and gives the cheese a unique aroma. This tradition has been passed down from our grandfathers. Every summer, the cheeses are placed in the cave. People from neighboring villages also bring their tuluk cheeses here. After four or five months, everyone returns to collect their cheese. The cheeses that spend the summer in the cave grace our tables throughout the winter.”

Meram Mayor Mustafa Kavuş said the event represents far more than the cheese maturation process, describing it as the preservation of a cultural heritage that has survived from past generations to the present.

“As the end of October approaches in Kızılören, the same excitement is felt in front of the cave every year. The tuluk cheeses placed there months earlier are taken out one by one. As each family collects its cheese, the neighborhood takes on the atmosphere of a festival. Revived last year under the leadership of Meram Municipality, the Cave Cheese Festival is now preparing for another year of celebration. The municipality’s tuluk cheeses placed in the cave today will also be brought out during the festival at the end of October and served to visitors.”

Mayor Kavuş added that the event helps preserve a centuries-old tradition while introducing Kızılören’s distinctive tuluk cheese to a wider audience.

“This tradition reflects the hard work of our people. It carries the abundance of flocks grazing on the highlands, the dedication of mothers who begin their work before sunrise, and a production culture that our ancestors have sustained for centuries. Above all, it embodies the enduring wisdom of Anatolia—a heritage that has withstood the test of time without losing its essence. Now, the tuluk cheeses will once again rest for months in the cool silence of the cave. Nature, time, and patience will work together. When the cave doors open again at the end of October, it will not only be the cheeses that emerge, but a centuries-old tradition that comes back to life year after year.”