Chanakh

The cheese is produced from cow's, sheep's, or goat's milk. The fat content of the final product ranges from 30% to 45%. A key feature of its production is maturation in brine. The salt content in the finished cheese can reach up to 7%. The minimum aging period is 60 days.

Chanakh has no rind. The outer layer is dense, and the surface is smooth, with possible traces of the mold or cloth used during pressing. Minor cracks and deformations are permissible. The cut surface displays a pattern of oval or angular eyes. The color of the cheese mass ranges from white to pale yellow.

The cheese has a uniform, dense, and slightly brittle texture. The flavor is sharply salty with a slight tang. A mild feed-like aftertaste and slight bitterness are acceptable. There are no foreign odors.

The cheese is produced in the form of two truncated cones joined at their wide bases, or as a rectangular block with a square base.

Chanakh is one of the traditional cheese varieties in Armenia. Alongside Lori, it is the most commonly consumed cheese in the country.

{{Reflist|2|refs=

{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2j4JkgEACAAJ|title=Справочник сыродела|trans-title=Cheesemaker's Handbook|year=2011|language=ru|author-first1=V.Ya.|author-last1=Lyakh|author-first2=I.A.|author-last2=Shergina|author-first3=T.N.|author-last3=Sadovaya|page=468|publisher=Профессия |isbn=9785904757229}}

Maturation time: at least 60 days. It belongs to the group of semi-hard cheeses.

{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2j4JkgEACAAJ|title=Справочник сыродела|trans-title=Cheesemaker's Handbook|year=2011|language=ru|author-first1=V.Ya.|author-last1=Lyakh|author-first2=I.A.|author-last2=Shergina|author-first3=T.N.|author-last3=Sadovaya|page=468|publisher=Профессия |isbn=9785904757229}}

Appearance. The cheese has no rind; the outer layer is compacted, and the surface is smooth with traces of the mold or form used. Minor cracks and slight deformation are allowed.

{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2j4JkgEACAAJ|title=Справочник сыродела|trans-title=Cheesemaker's Handbook|year=2011|language=ru|author-first1=V.Ya.|author-last1=Lyakh|author-first2=I.A.|author-last2=Shergina|author-first3=T.N.|author-last3=Sadovaya|page=468|publisher=Профессия |isbn=9785904757229}}

Taste and Smell: Strongly salty, slightly sour, without any foreign odors. A mild feed-like aftertaste and slight bitterness are permissible. Consistency: Uniform, firm, slightly brittle.

{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2j4JkgEACAAJ|title=Справочник сыродела|trans-title=Cheesemaker's Handbook|year=2011|language=ru|author-first1=V.Ya.|author-last1=Lyakh|author-first2=I.A.|author-last2=Shergina|author-first3=T.N.|author-last3=Sadovaya|page=468|publisher=Профессия |isbn=9785904757229}}

Appearance: On the cut surface, the cheese displays an "eye pattern" consisting of oval or angular holes. Paste Color: Ranging from white to light yellow.

{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2j4JkgEACAAJ|title=Справочник сыродела|trans-title=Cheesemaker's Handbook|year=2011|language=ru|author-first1=V.Ya.|author-last1=Lyakh|author-first2=I.A.|author-last2=Shergina|author-first3=T.N.|author-last3=Sadovaya|page=468|publisher=Профессия |isbn=9785904757229}}

Cheese Shape: The cheese has the shape of two truncated cones joined at their wide bases, or a rectangular block. Chanakh Cheese: Chanakh cheese has the shape of two truncated cones joined at the wide base or a rectangular block with a square base. Chanakh cheese is produced with a higher salt content—up to 7%. The cheese can be matured in brine.

{{cite book|title=Armenian Food: Fact, Fiction & Folklore|date=19 April 2006|author-first1=Irina|author-last1=Petrosian|author-first2=David|author-last2=Underwood|page=46|publisher=Lulu.com |isbn=978-1411698659}}

The two traditional types of cheeses sold in almost all Armenian food stores are Lori and Chanakh.

{{cite book|title=Արդի հայերենի բացատրական բառարան|language=hy|author-first=Eduard|author-last=Aghayan|trans-title=Explanatory Dictionary of Modern Armenian|author-link=Eduard Aghayan|year=1976|location=Yerevan, Armenia|publisher=Hayastan Publishing House}}

{{cite book|title=The Ethnomusicologists' Cookbook, Volume II: Complete Meals from Around the World|author-first=Sean|author-last=Williams|date=23 July 2015|author-link=Sean Williams (ethnomusicologist)|isbn=978-0415838665}}

Armenian Cheeses - Chanakh (Sharp Aged Cheese stored in brine).

{{cite web|url=https://www.tasteatlas.com/chanakh|title=Chanakh {{!}} Local Cheese From Armenia, Eastern Europe|website=TasteAtlas|access-date=3 May 2025}}

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{{Armenian cuisine}}

Category:Armenian cheeses