Cheese · Geographical indication (Sakpatenti, no. 13) · Kakheti
Also labelled გუდა
A semi-hard sheep and cow's milk cheese from Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Samtskhe-Javakheti and Mtskheta-Mtianeti; the Tushetian version comes from Tusheti, in Akhmeta municipality, Kakheti.
Guda is a cylindrical cheese of sheep's milk, cow's milk or a blend, with goat's milk allowed in a blend, ripened for at least 60 days in a sack, the guda that gives it its name, made of sheep, goat or calf skin with the shorn fleece on the inside. The Sakpatenti specification gives 4 to 8 kg, no rind but an even, not smooth, surface, and eyes 0.3 to 0.5 cm wide throughout the paste. It cites the ethnographer Ivane Javakhishvili for sheep's-milk guda made in Kiziki, and georgia.travel lists Tushetian sheep cheese, also called guda, as a Tusheti speciality.
Made in: Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Samtskhe-Javakheti and Mtskheta-Mtianeti; the Tushetian version comes from Tusheti, in Akhmeta municipality, Kakheti
Lightly spicy and sour, piquant and moderately salty (4 to 7 percent salt), with a typical aroma and no off-smell, per the Sakpatenti specification. The paste runs from white to slightly yellowish, stronger in the centre, and slices may weep fat.
Rind: none, eaten fresh
Wine and cheese
Guda is piquant and moderately salty. Mukuzani PDO Saperavi is full-bodied with medium to firm tannin and medium to high acidity, so the salt and the fat of the paste soften the grip of the tannin.
Guda is lightly spicy, sour and moderately salty. Amber Kisi from qvevri is full-bodied with medium tannin and medium to high acidity, so the acidity meets the sour edge and the salt of the cheese takes the grip off the skins.
The grapes behind these winesKisiSaperavi
Seasonal route from Alvani over the 72 km Abano Pass road to Omalo, in the area whose summer pastures supply chogi and Tushetian guda. georgia.travel gives late May to September as the open season, with the pass closed by heavy snow the rest of the year; Wikivoyage says May or June to October. A small shop in Omalo sells basics including bread and cheese.
Sunday-morning market in the village beside Tsnori, a 20-minute taxi ride from Sighnaghi. Wikivoyage lists cheeses among its fresh produce, meats, crafts, clothes, livestock and farm goods. The listing is undated, so confirm the market is running before a special trip.
Yes. Sakpatenti, the Georgian national IP centre, registered Guda as a geographical indication, no. 13, on 24 January 2012.
A skin sack. The Sakpatenti specification names sheep, goat or calf skin with the fleece shorn on the inside; Wikipedia describes the inverted hide of a young sheep, turned over three times a day for the first few days to spread the salt.
At least 60 days under the Sakpatenti specification; English Wikipedia says up to or around 60 days.
The specification lists Kakheti among its four production regions and cites guda made in Kiziki, a Kakheti district. Tusheti, home of the Tushetian version, belongs to Akhmeta municipality in Kakheti.
Same cheeseboard
Plan the trip
Tastings and tours where it is made, and somewhere to stay.
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Sources: protection register, www.sakpatenti.gov.ge, en.wikipedia.org. The drawing is made from the cheese's recorded shape, rind and paste, not a photograph.
