What it is
Guda is made from sheep's milk by Tusheti's shepherds during the summer grazing season. The fresh cheese is salted in layers and packed into a guda, a sack made from the inverted hide of a young sheep, where it ripens for up to about two months. The result is firm, salty and strongly flavoured.
Around Georgia
It is closely tied to Tusheti's way of life, in which families move their flocks between the high mountain pastures in summer and the Alvani villages of Kakheti in winter. Look for it in Tusheti guesthouses in summer, and at markets in Kakheti and Tbilisi.
At the table
How to order it
Ask your guesthouse host in Tusheti whether they have guda, or buy a piece at a market cheese stall; ask to taste first, as it is very salty.
What's in it
Sheep's milk and salt. Vegetarian, though traditional rennet may be animal-derived. Recipes vary, so confirm ingredients with the kitchen if you have an allergy or dietary need.
