Motal

Motal is an ancient cheese that's produced from goat’s milk (or sometimes sheep's milk) throughout the Caucasus. Right after the goats have been milked by hand, calf rennet is combined with the warm milk, and the combination is then left to cool.

The curd gets broken and drained in a cloth, while the remaining mixture is broken into smaller pieces and left in brine-filled molds for at least 40 days. After that period, the curd is crumbled, seasoned with a variety of mountain herbs, and placed in goat or sheep sacks to mature from 3 to 6 months.

In some regions, the cheese gets placed into terracotta pots, and it's then sealed with wax and left to age from 35 to 50 days in ashes. The cheese is crumbly and very salty, similar in flavor to mature blue cheeses. It's recommended to serve Motal with bread, flatbreads such as pita or lavash, garlic, onions, and basil.

Pair it with dry red wines for the best experience. In Azerbaijan, the cheese originates mainly from two regions - Karabakh and Gazakh.