Kuymak, also known as Mıhlama or Muhlama, is a rich and delicious cheese and cornmeal dish from Turkey’s Black Sea region. It is usually served as part of a long Turkish breakfast, with warm bread or simit for dipping and plenty of Turkish tea on the table.
My Kuymak recipe takes around 15 minutes and needs only a few simple ingredients. I serve it with tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and eggs for breakfast, but it is also good as a quick lunch with crusty bread and a bowl of Turkish Shepherd Salad (Coban Salatasi).
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The name and recipe can change as you travel along the Black Sea coast. In Trabzon, it is more often called Kuymak, while Mıhlama or Muhlama is common in Rize and other parts of the region. Some people prefer more cornmeal, others use more cheese, but it is always served hot, buttery, and full of stretchy cheese.
A lovely comment from a reader:
“My husband loves this recipe! It is our favourite breakfast. Thanks for sharing this with us!”
Lisa
Why This Recipe Works
- Kuymak comes to the table in the pan, so everyone can dip bread into it while the cheese is still stretching.
- It takes around 15 minutes, which makes it a good choice for a late weekend breakfast when you want something warm without spending the whole morning cooking.
- It brings a proper Black Sea touch to a Turkish breakfast spread with simit, tea, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, eggs, and cheese.
- It is rich enough to serve in the middle of the table with bread and salad for a simple lunch.
- The recipe uses just butter, cornmeal, water, and cheese, but it feels very different from ordinary melted cheese on toast.
What Is Kuymak?
Kuymak is a regional dish from Turkey’s northern Black Sea coast. It is made with butter, cornmeal, water, and a cheese that melts and stretches when heated.
It is traditionally cooked and served in a shallow copper pan called a sahan. The butter is melted first, the cornmeal is lightly toasted, and water and cheese are added until the mixture becomes soft, glossy, and stringy.
Kuymak is usually served hot for breakfast, with bread or simit for dipping. It is not a dish to make early and leave on the stove. The cheese starts to firm up as it cools, so it is best eaten as soon as it reaches the table.
Is Kuymak the Same as Mıhlama?
Kuymak, Mıhlama, and Muhlama are closely related Black Sea dishes. The name often changes from one town or province to another, and every family has its own preferred cheese, butter, and cornmeal ratio.
Kuymak is the name more often used around Trabzon, while Mıhlama or Muhlama is common in Rize and other parts of the eastern Black Sea region. Some people use the names interchangeably.
A simple way to explain the difference is that kuymak often has a more noticeable cornmeal base, while mıhlama usually contains more cheese and butter, giving it a softer texture and longer cheese pulls. Both are served hot with bread and both belong on a proper Black Sea breakfast table.
This recipe sits happily between the two. It has enough cornmeal to give the dish body, but plenty of cheese for the soft, stretchy texture everyone expects.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
- Cheese - The cheese is the most important ingredient in Kuymak. You need a cheese that melts smoothly and gives you long strands when lifted with a spoon. In Turkey, Kolot cheese, Trabzon cheese, Çeçil cheese, and aged Kaşar are all good choices. Ask at a Turkish grocery store for a cheese that melts and stretches well. Low-moisture mozzarella is a practical substitute when you cannot find Turkish cheese, but it gives a milder flavor. Feta, ricotta, halloumi, and other cheeses that do not melt into long strands will not give you the right result.
- Cornmeal - Use medium cornmeal for the best texture. It should be coarse enough to give the Kuymak body without feeling gritty. Do not use cornstarch, which is sold as cornflour in the UK. It is completely different from cornmeal and will not work in this recipe.
- Butter - Use good-quality butter, as it gives the dish much of its flavor. Salted or unsalted butter both work, but taste the finished Kuymak before adding extra salt because the cheese can be quite salty.
- Water and salt - The recipe uses water in two stages. The first addition cooks the cornmeal, while the boiling water added near the end loosens the mixture and helps the butter rise to the surface.
How To Make Kuymak (Mihlama)
Place the butter in a sahan or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Let it melt and bubble gently without burning. Add the cornmeal and stir gently with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula. .
Lower the heat and cook it for a few minutes until it turns lightly golden and smells toasted. Pour in the first amount of water and stir until the cornmeal absorbs it. The mixture will thicken as the cornmeal cooks.
Lower the heat and add the grated cheese. Stir gently until it melts through the cornmeal mixture.
Add the boiling water and continue cooking until the mixture becomes glossy and a layer of butter appears on the surface. Serve it immediately while the cheese is still stretching.
Recipe Tips From The Chef
- Grate or shred the cheese before you start cooking. Once the cornmeal is ready, the rest of the recipe moves quickly.
- Keep the heat low after adding the cheese. High heat can make it firm and rubbery instead of soft and stretchy.
- Have the boiling water ready before you add the cheese, so you do not need to stop halfway through cooking.
- The Kuymak is ready when the cheese has melted, the mixture looks glossy, and butter starts to collect on the surface.
- Bring everyone to the table before you finish the recipe. Kuymak is at its best during the first few minutes after cooking.
- A wooden spoon or silicone spatula is easier to use than a metal spoon, especially when you are cooking in a copper sahan.
Serving Suggestions
Kuymak is usually served with warm simit, Açma - Turkish Soft Bread Rings, toasted Sourdough Sandwich Bread, or a good crusty Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread for dipping.
For a Turkish breakfast table, serve it with Cilbir, Menemen, Healthy Egg Salad without Mayo, Cheese Pide With Mushrooms, Muhammara, or Spinach and Feta Borek.
It also makes a simple lunch with Coban Salatasi, fresh bread, and a few olives. You can serve it beside Karadeniz Pidesi when you are putting together a larger Black Sea inspired meal.
Make Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
Kuymak is best made and served straight away. The cheese firms up as it cools, so it will not have the same soft, stretchy texture once it has been refrigerated.
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
To reheat, place the Kuymak in a skillet over low heat with a small splash of water. Stir gently until hot. It will still taste good, but it will be thicker and less stretchy than it was when freshly made.
Leftover Kuymak is also good spooned over toasted bread and warmed in the oven until the cheese softens.
Recipe FAQs
The cheese is usually the reason. Feta, halloumi, ricotta, and similar cheeses will not melt into long strands. Overcooking can also make the cheese firmer, so keep the heat low once you add it.
The butter rising to the surface is a sign that the Kuymak is ready. It gives the dish its rich flavor and glossy finish.
Breakfast is the traditional time to serve it, but Kuymak also works as a light lunch, afternoon snack, or warm dish to share with bread and salad.
Related Recipes
For more scrumptious regional Turkish dishes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this regional breakfast dish Kuymak-Mihlama as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
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Kuymak (Mihlama)
Ingredients
- 3 ½ tablespoon butter (50 grams)
- 3 tablespoon cornmeal (24 grams)
- ½ cup tap water (120 ml)
- 2 cups cheese (Cecil, Trabzon, kolot or kasar cheese) (200 grams)
- ¼ cup boiling water (60 ml)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a sahan or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Let it bubble gently without burning.
- Add the cornmeal and stir gently with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula. Lower the heat and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the cornmeal turns lightly golden.
- Add the water and stir until the cornmeal absorbs it and the mixture thickens.
- Add the grated cheese and stir gently over low heat until it melts through the cornmeal.
- Pour in the boiling water and continue cooking until the mixture becomes glossy and butter rises to the surface.
- Taste and add salt if needed. Serve immediately with warm bread or simit.
Notes
- Use medium cornmeal, not cornstarch. In the UK, cornflour means cornstarch and will not work in this recipe.
- Choose cheese that melts and stretches well. Kolot, Trabzon, Çeçil, and aged Kaşar are traditional options. Low-moisture mozzarella is a practical substitute, but it has a milder flavor.
- Feta, ricotta, halloumi, and other cheeses that do not melt into long strands will not give you the right texture.
- A copper sahan is traditional, but a nonstick skillet works well.
- Keep the heat low after adding the cheese. Overcooking can make the cheese firm and rubbery.
- The Kuymak is ready when the mixture looks glossy and butter rises to the surface.
- Serve it immediately. Kuymak firms up quickly as it cools.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water, knowing that it will not return to the same stretchy texture.
Lisa says
My husband loves this recipe! It is our favourite breakfast. Thanks for sharing this with us!