Çömlek cheese (Turkish çömlek peyniri, "potted cheese") is a typical artisanal cheese from Central and Eastern Anatolia, characterized by its maturation in sealed clay jars (çömlek).
It is typically made from cow's or sheep's milk, which is curdled with rennet, strained, salted, and tightly packed into containers along with optional flavorings such as nigella seed. The jars are sealed with cloth, grape leaves, and a dough or mud covering, then stored upside down – often partially buried in cool basements –for several months.
During ripening, the cheese loses moisture and develops a distinct aroma and flavor profile due to microbial and enzymatic activity within the anaerobic environment of the jar. Regional variants exist, and several forms have been granted geographical indication status by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office.