Çimi Plateau cheese producers use snow pits for traditional aging

In the Akseki district of Antalya, Turkey, the Yörük people continue a centuries-old tradition of aging cheese using natural snow pits on the Çimi Plateau. Located at an altitude of approximately 1,900 meters, the plateau serves as a seasonal production hub where goat and sheep milk is processed into oil and cheese.

To preserve and mature the products, producers place the cheese in containers such as buckets, barrels, or cleaned animal skins and lower them into snow pits that are 30 to 50 meters deep. These pits act as natural refrigerators, maintaining temperatures as low as minus 15 to 20 degrees Celsius even during the summer months. The cheese remains in these pits for approximately two to three and a half months, a process that allows the moisture to reduce and enhances the unique aroma and texture.

The matured cheese is typically brought down from the plateau in September and October to be sold in local markets, such as those in Manavgat, or kept for family consumption. Producers note that the combination of natural grazing and the specific cooling conditions of the snow pits results in a flavor profile distinct from cheese aged under standard conditions.