Braided cheese (chechil) production technology

In brief. Braided cheese (chechil) is made from cow's, goat's or sheep's milk. Standardized milk is fermented at 65 °C in a cheese vat, the cheese curd develops acidity in a press trolley for about an hour, and then strings are formed from it on a cheese string forming unit. The strings are cooled in water, cut or braided and salted in brine of about 15%; if desired, the cheese is smoked.

Today's consumers are increasingly interested in natural foods made by small producers. Dairy products, and cheese products in particular, are no exception. There are thousands of cheese varieties, including some exotic ones. One of them is braided cheese — chechil. Chechil belongs to traditional Armenian cuisine and is rich in nutrients. A special feature of making this cheese is that many operations are done by hand (stretching, forming the strings, braiding).

Genuine chechil is not very salty, with a pleasant aroma and high nutritional value. Chechil is made from natural milk — cow's, goat's, sheep's or a mix of these. It may be smoked or unsmoked, and it comes as sticks, strings or braids. The distinctive look of braided cheese is achieved by tying it by hand.

Production technology

Chechil is made from standardized milk heated to 65 degrees. The milk goes into a cheese vat, where it sours and a cheese coagulum forms. After cutting and whey drainage, the resulting cheese curd is placed in a press trolley and left to develop acidity for an hour. The cut slab is then fed into a special cheese string forming module. All the equipment for this process — cheese vat, cheese melter and UFSN cheese string forming unit — is combined in the set "Equipment for pasta filata cheeses: chechil, suluguni, mozzarella".

The finished strings go into a water bath, after which they are cut or braided. The finished product is immersed in brine with a salt concentration of about 15% and sent to the storage room. If smoked braids are planned, the cheese is placed in smoking chambers.

The Milberg plant offers a wide range of equipment for dairy producers, including equipment for curd products, suitable both for small family farms and for large plants. In line with food safety and hygiene standards, all equipment made at the plant is manufactured from high-quality stainless steel approved for use in the food industry.

If you need milk processing equipment, submit an enquiry on the website or contact our specialists by phone.