Kashkaval



Kashkaval deriving from the Italian Caciocavallo (Bulgarian: кашкавал, pronounced [kɐʃkɐˈvɑɫ], Macedonian: кашкавал, pronounced [kaʃkaˈval]; Romanian: cașcaval, Turkish: kaşkaval, Serbian: качкаваљ or kačkavalj) is a specific type of yellow sheep milk cheese. However, in Bulgaria, Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Romania, the term is often used to refer to all yellow cheeses (or even any cheese other than sirene). In English-language menus in Bulgaria, "кашкавал" is always translated as "yellow cheese" (whereas sirene is usually translated as "white cheese" or simply "cheese"). The taste of the kashkaval is sometimes compared to that of the United Kingdom's cheddar cheese, although variations exist.

In Syria and Lebanon, this type of cheese is also called kashkawan (Arabic: قشقوان‎). It is very popular and is generally imported from countries such as Bulgaria, and is sometimes used as a topping for manakish.[1]

Romania
In Romania, cașcaval (Romanian pronunciation: [kaʃkaˈval]) is used to refer to a number of types of yellow semi-hard cheeses made out of sheep's or cow's-milk. The term is often used by extension as a generic name for all semi-hard yellow cheeses such as the Swiss Emmental cheese, the Dutch gouda and the British Cheddar, or anything that looks similar to the cașcaval.

Cașcaval is quite similar to the Balkan, Greek and Sicilian Caciocavallo cheese, taking its name from the latter.

Several sorts of the Romanian cașcaval have PDO status in the European Union. As of 2005, the following types of cașcaval are PDO products of Romania:
 * Cașcaval de Argeș
 * Cașcaval de Bobâlna
 * Cașcaval de Brădet
 * Cașcaval de Carei
 * Cașcaval de Ciuc
 * Cașcaval de Covasna
 * Cașcaval de Dej
 * Cașcaval de Dobrogea
 * Cașcaval de Dorna
 * Cașcaval de Fetești
 * Cașcaval de Harghita
 * Cașcaval de Hârlău
 * Cașcaval de Mateiaş
 * Cașcaval de Moeciu
 * Cașcaval de Napoca
 * Cașcaval de Penteleu
 * Cașcaval de Rarău
 * Cașcaval de Râuşor
 * Cașcaval de Rucăr
 * Cașcaval de Satu Mare
 * Cașcaval de Sibiu
 * Cașcaval de Târnița
 * Cașcaval de Vidraru