Kuymak is closely associated with Trabzon and is also called muhlama or mıhlama in Black Sea food culture. Official Turkish sources describe corn flour cooked with butter, water and a regional melting cheese, and identify it as a special part of the region's breakfast table. This version follows that structure and keeps the cheese choice explicit so home cooks can reproduce the characteristic stretch without confusing kuymak with a firm polenta.
Kuymak — Recipe Card
Trabzon-style cornmeal and melted cheese breakfast
Makes 4 servingsUS cup = 240 ml · tablespoon = 15 ml · teaspoon = 5 ml. Cup and weight conversions are approximate. Australian cooks: use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon.
Ingredient quantities and servings are scaled. Cooking times, pan sizes, frying oil depth, and temperatures stay the same; cook larger batches as needed.
Ingredients
How to make Kuymak
Prepare the cheese and water
Tear the telli peynir into thin strands so it melts evenly. Bring the water just to a boil and keep it hot beside the stove. Taste a small piece of cheese before deciding whether the optional salt will be needed.
Toast the cornmeal
Melt the butter in a wide, heavy 24 cm (9.5-inch) skillet over medium-low heat. When it foams, add the cornmeal. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon for 4–5 minutes, until the grains smell toasted and deepen slightly from yellow to pale gold; do not let them brown.
Add the hot water
Reduce the heat to low. Pour in the hot water in four additions while whisking carefully; the mixture will bubble and release steam. Whisk each addition smooth before adding the next so no dry pockets remain.
Cook the cornmeal base
Switch back to the wooden spoon and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom. The base is ready when it is smooth, thick enough to leave a brief trail behind the spoon and bubbling gently. Taste, then add some or all of the salt only if the cheese is not already salty.
Melt the cheese and serve
Scatter the cheese evenly over the hot cornmeal. Fold slowly for 4–5 minutes, until the cheese has melted, long strands form when the spoon is lifted and small pools of butter appear around the edge. Keep the heat low and do not boil hard. Take the skillet straight to the table and serve immediately with bread.
Bring this recipe to your kitchen with a printable copy.
Print recipeRecipe from MyTurkishRecipes · https://myturkishrecipes.com/turkish-cornmeal-and-cheese-kuymak-muhlama. Quantities reflect your selected serving scale. Cooking times are estimates; follow the doneness cues.
A few helpful kitchen notes
Cheese choice
Trabzon telli peynir gives the most traditional flavor and stretch. If unavailable, use the same 250 g (8.8 oz) total weight of low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella mixed with young provolone in a 3:1 ratio. Fresh mozzarella releases too much water.
Salt carefully
Telli peynir can be quite salty, so taste it before seasoning. The 3 g (1/2 teaspoon) salt is optional; add only what the finished cornmeal base needs.
Dietary notes
The dish contains dairy. Vegetarian diners should choose cheese made with microbial or vegetarian rennet. Cornmeal contains no gluten ingredient, but anyone avoiding gluten should use cornmeal and cheese specifically labelled gluten-free and consider cross-contact; this recipe is not a certification.
Heat level
No added chili. Kuymak is rich and savory rather than spicy; serve hot pepper separately instead of changing the base if some diners want heat.
How to store and reheat Kuymak
Kuymak is best eaten immediately while the cheese is fluid. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in a shallow covered container at 4°C (40°F) or below for up to 4 days. Reheat only the portion needed over low heat with 15–30 ml (1–2 tablespoons) water, stirring until it reaches 74°C (165°F). The reheated cheese will be less stretchy; freezing is not recommended for texture.
Kuymak: questions and answers
Is kuymak the same as muhlama?
The names overlap in Black Sea usage, and official tourism sources note that kuymak is also known as muhlama or mıhlama. Household proportions and preferred cheeses vary, but the Trabzon-style dish centers on cornmeal, butter and melting cheese.
Why is my kuymak not stretchy?
The cheese may be too dry, aged or low in melting ability, or the pan may have boiled after the cheese was added. Use a young melting cheese, tear or shred it finely, keep the heat low and stop cooking as soon as long strands form.
Can I use polenta or coarse cornmeal?
Fine yellow cornmeal gives the smooth traditional-style base used here. Coarse polenta needs more liquid and a much longer cook, so it is not a direct substitute for these quantities and timings.
What do you serve with kuymak?
Serve it straight from the pan with crusty bread and Turkish tea as part of breakfast. Because it is rich, fresh tomatoes, cucumber and olives make useful, bright accompaniments.
