How to read a Turkish cheese label, from beyaz peynir to kasar
Beyaz peynir is the Turkish white cheese most people ask for by name, and our catalogue lists more than a dozen cheeses that answer to it. The sorting is done by the name on the pack. A Turkish cheese label carries a region, often the milk, sometimes a color, and very little else, which is why the shelf at our Snohomish County store looks harder than it is.
A Turkish cheese label carries a region, often the milk, sometimes a color, and very little else. On the Ezine line the color names the milk: blue is cow, green is goat, red is sheep, black is the mix, and all four are pre-sliced. Beyaz peynir is a category rather than a product. Besler Market is at 18122 WA-9, Suite A101, Snohomish, WA 98296. Stock rotates weekly, so call (206) 372-3073 before you drive out for one particular Turkish or Mediterranean cheese.
What the region on the label is doing
A region tells you where the cheese was made, not which milk, so the clearest listings give you both.
Ezine
Ezine is the plainest case: four entries, same region and same style, with the milk named by label color. Blue is cow, green is goat, red is sheep, black is the mix, and all four are pre-sliced.
That code belongs to the Ezine line. Bulgarian white, classic white and double cream white carry a color in the catalogue name too, and none of the three carries a Turkish region.
Tulum is catalogued twice, as Erzincan Savak from sheep milk and as Izmir, pre-sliced under the Moda name. Van otlu is the herb cheese and Erzurum gogermis is listed as blue cheese. Kasar appears four ways, and two of those names say what they are: the fresh tost kasari comes pre-sliced, the Trakya eski kasar is cave aged.
| What the pack says | What it is telling you |
|---|---|
| Ezine, blue, green, red, black | Cow, goat, sheep, mix. All pre-sliced |
| Tulum, Erzincan Savak | Sheep milk |
| Tulum, Izmir | Pre-sliced, under the Moda name |
| Otlu, Van | The herb cheese |
| Gogermis, Erzurum | Listed as blue cheese |
| Eski kasar, Trakya | Cave aged |
| Tost kasari | Fresh kashkaval, pre-sliced |
| Boreklik | Beyaz peynir named for borek |
| Hellim | Halloumi, under the Baraka name |
Why there are so many white cheeses
Beyaz peynir
Our Turkish groceries guide puts it in one line: there is beyaz peynir, and then there is Ezine cow, Ezine goat, Ezine sheep, Erzincan tulum, Van otlu. It is a category rather than a product, and two of the cheeses in it carry feta in the product name as the English equivalent.
Next to the Ezine line sit Yoruksut beyaz peynir, listed as tam yagli, and four Sutdiyari packs: piknik, boreklik, a goat cheese, and a Danish style soft white catalogued as Danish yumusak. Boreklik is named for the job rather than for a place. Karoun also makes a lactose free Bulgarian sheep milk cheese.
The ones that are not white
The catalogue introduces the section in one sentence: white cheeses for breakfast, tulum for the meze table, ayran cold from the fridge. Tost kasari takes its name from toast and is the kasar we sell pre-sliced. Baraka halloumi, listed as hellim peyniri, is the grilling cheese, and it appears again in our Middle Eastern and Arab grocery guide next to Arz labneh. Five more are sold by shape: braided orgu, chechil, dil string cheese, misket pearls and Moda cubuk sticks.
What to put it with
For breakfast we carry street simit par baked, acma soft bagels in olive or chocolate, and pogaca already filled with white cheese, olive or mozarella. For scooping there is pita, samoon pita and Moda lavash, and ayran goes with it, cold.
If you are making borek yourself, the Sutdiyari boreklik beyaz peynir goes with the round boreklik yufka, with a triangle ucgen yufka and a number 4 phyllo beside it. If you are not, we carry it finished: three cheese borek, kalem boregi rolls, spiral pie in white cheese, and gozleme in white cheese or spinach and cheese.
Before you drive out
The catalogue on our site is dated as of 2026 and runs past 800 items, so you can read the whole cheese and dairy list before you leave the house, and the hours and directions page has the drive times. Stock rotates weekly, so if you are coming for one particular Turkish or Mediterranean cheese, call (206) 372-3073 first and we will tell you what is on the shelf.
Frequently asked questions
What is beyaz peynir?
Beyaz peynir is Turkish white cheese, the one eaten at breakfast. It is a category rather than a single product, and two of the cheeses in it carry feta in the product name as the English equivalent. At Besler Market it covers Ezine in cow, goat, sheep and mix, Yoruksut tam yagli, and the Sutdiyari piknik and boreklik packs.
What do the label colors on the Ezine packs mean?
The color names the milk. The catalogue lists Ezine cow on a blue label, goat on green, sheep on red and the mix on black, all four pre-sliced. That code belongs to the Ezine line, so do not read the same meaning into a color on another brand.
Do you carry halloumi?
Yes. We carry Baraka halloumi, listed as hellim peyniri, which is the grilling cheese. It sits with the rest of the cheese and dairy and also appears in our Middle Eastern and Arab grocery guide next to Arz labneh. Stock rotates weekly, so call (206) 372-3073 before driving out for it.
Which cheese should I use for borek?
Sutdiyari boreklik beyaz peynir is named for it, which is what boreklik means. Pair it with the round boreklik yufka or the number 4 phyllo. If you would rather not roll it yourself, we carry three cheese borek, kalem boregi rolls, spiral pie in white cheese, and gozleme with white cheese.
Turkish and Mediterranean cheese, label by label, in Snohomish County.
A Turkish cheese label carries a region, often the milk, sometimes a color. Beyaz peynir is a category rather than a product, kasar appears four ways, and hellim is the grilling cheese. The catalogue is dated as of 2026 and runs past 800 items, so you can read the cheese and dairy list before you leave the house. Besler Market is at 18122 WA-9, Suite A101, Snohomish, WA 98296. Stock rotates weekly, so call (206) 372-3073 before you drive out for one particular cheese.