Dairy & Eggs

Imeretian Cheese (Imeruli)

Georgian fresh brined cheese; the soft filling that defines khachapuri.

Imeruli is a fresh, mild, slightly salty Georgian cheese from the Imereti region, made from cow's milk and brined briefly. It is soft and crumbly with a tangy edge, and is the classic filling for khachapuri cheese bread. It is also eaten fresh with herbs or melted into Georgian dishes.

Imeretian cheese is the defining filling of Georgian khachapuri, and no substitution quite replicates its brined saltiness, milky tang, and the long elastic strings it pulls when melted. Produced in the Imereti region of western Georgia, it belongs to the family of fresh brined cheeses — a category distinct from aged or rinded cheeses. The cheese is made by coagulating full-fat cow's milk (sometimes buffalo or mixed) with rennet, then salting the finished curd and storing it submerged in its own brine. This brine is not incidental; it is both preservative and flavoring, giving the cheese its characteristic gentle saltiness and keeping it supple. The texture sits between soft and semi-firm with a slight elasticity that breaks into gratifying strings when heated — the hallmark that tells you the cheese is properly made and fresh enough to melt rather than simply collapse into grease.

Unlike aged cheeses, Imeretian cheese is meant to be consumed fresh, typically within days to two to three weeks of production. This perishability is why it is made in small batches throughout Georgia and found at markets submerged in clear brine in small plastic or glass containers. The brine should be clear; cloudiness or discoloration signals overaging or poor handling. Industrially produced versions exist beyond Georgia, but quality varies considerably in salt balance and melt behavior. For a cook working with this cheese, understanding that it is a fresh, brined, mild, elastic cheese — not a feta, not a smoked string cheese — is the foundation for using it correctly. The stretch is not incidental; it is the point.

In Georgia, Imeretian cheese is made at home and at small dairies throughout Imereti, where each household's version varies subtly in salt and acidity. The cheese is not sliced but torn or crumbled, and it enters dough, fills boats of bread, scatters over bean stews, and sometimes stands alone, grilled or fried. It is the cheese that makes khachapuri the dish it is — without it, you have bread and melted cheese; with it, you have something rooted and specific to this landscape and its tables.

Measured in: g
Storage: Fridge

Allergens

Dairy

Types & varieties

Imeretian (standard)

The common brined cheese of the Imereti region; made with standardized techniques and brine. This is what you encounter in most markets and the standard filling for traditional khachapuri.

Dampalshu Nost

A slightly aged variant with a denser texture and more pronounced saltiness; the name translates literally to 'cheese in the bag.' It holds its shape better when grilled and works well where a firmer, saltier character is desired.

Imereti Sulguni types

Suluguni-style cheeses produced in Imereti under the broader brined-cheese tradition. These are distinct from true Suluguni of the Samegrelo region and should not be confused with the smoked, more aged Megrelian original.

Common uses

Primary filling for Imeretian khachapuri — circular, closed bread — and Adjarian khachapuri — boat-shaped, open, with egg and butter stirred into the melted cheeseEaten fresh as a table cheese with crusty bread and adjika or badridzhanShredded or crumbled into lobio and other Georgian bean stewsLayered in badrijani nigvzit — eggplant rolls filled with spiced walnut pasteGrilled or fried as a standalone dish (chanakhi style), producing a caramelized, salty crust with a molten interiorSandwiched into tonis puri or shotis puri — traditional Georgian flatbreads — as a street-food fillingFolded into fresh flatbreads and pan-fried as a quick savoryUsed as a finishing cheese over soups and grain dishes where its gentle salinity and melt improve body and richness

Tips & pitfalls

Drain excess brine before mixing into khachapuri dough or filling — brine loosens the dough and produces a soggy result
Tear or crumble the cheese rather than slicing it; this distributes it more evenly through dough and ensures consistent melting
If the cheese tastes too salty, soak it in cold milk for 30 minutes, then drain and pat dry before using
The stretch is the test: properly made Imeretian cheese melts into long, elastic strings when heated. If your cheese does not pull, it is either too old, too dry, or not the right variety
Do not confuse this with Suluguni, which is smoked, more aged, and comes from the Samegrelo region — Suluguni has a deeper yellow color and a pronounced smokiness
When buying from a Georgian or specialty market, look for pieces submerged in clear brine; avoid product in cloudy, discolored, or frothy liquid
Use full-fat milk cheese (at least 3.5%) for best elasticity — low-fat versions produce a rubbery, non-melting result
Bring cheese to room temperature before cooking to ensure even, thorough melting rather than a patchy, uneven result

Nutrition

389kcal

Energy

1628 kJ · per 100 g

Where the calories come from

Protein 26%Carbs 2%Fat 72%

Protein

25.6g

51% DV

Carbs

1.6g

1% DV

Fat

31.1g

40% DV

Fiber

0% DV

Sugars

1.6g

of which

Sodium

800mg

35% DV

Notable micronutrients

Vitamin B1270% DV

Calcium42% DV

Zinc32% DV

Vitamin A29% DV

Phosphorus28% DV

Selenium26% DV

Source · USDA FoodData Central · approx. Cheese, fontina

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In the shops

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Good to know

Origin: Imereti region, western Georgia
Milk: Cow's milk (primary); occasionally buffalo or mixed
Type: Fresh brined cheese
Texture: Soft to semi-firm; elastic; slightly crumbly when cold
Flavor: Mild, tangy, distinctly salty from brine; milky
Color: White
Aging: Brief; consumed fresh, typically within days to 2–3 weeks
Rind: None; stored immersed in brine
Storage: Refrigerated in its brine; use within 2–3 weeks
Traditional Rennet: Animal rennet (traditional); vegetable rennet used by some producers

Substitutes

Suluguni — Another Georgian brined cheese, slightly smoked and less heavily brined; closest flavor and melt. Adjust for smokiness by using less or seeking unsmoked varieties.
Mozzarella — Good melting cheese with mild flavor but no intrinsic saltiness. Add 0.5% salt by weight and soak in 5% brine for 2 hours for a closer approximation.
Kasseri — Mediterranean brined cheese with good melt and mild tang. Lacks the saltiness and milky depth of Imeretian but works in a pinch.
Queso Oaxaca — Mexican string cheese with similar texture and pull; mild, not brined. Add salt to taste before using.
Farmers Cheese (dry cottage cheese) — Acceptable in baked dishes but crumbly rather than elastic; will not produce the characteristic stringy pull in khachapuri. Best reserved for dishes where melt is secondary.