Kars Boğatepe Village Produces 500 Tons of Gravyer Annually

September 28, 2026 · Tarım TV

Milk from animals fed by the rich vegetation of Kars' plateaus, exceeding 2,800 meters, is transformed into registered Kars gravyer, reaching 500 tons annually in the dairies of Boğatepe village.

In Boğatepe village, connected to the center of Kars, producers take their cattle to plateaus at altitudes ranging from 2,400 to 2,840 meters in the early hours of the morning. The natural and additive-free milk, milked from cows grazing in pastures covered with thyme and rich vegetation, forms the primary raw material for the geographically indicated Kars gravyer. This tradition, which has continued uninterrupted since the early years of the Republic, maintains its quality by combining with modern dairies. The high-quality milk obtained through extensive animal husbandry is delivered directly to production facilities and transformed into registered cheese.

Approximately 1,800 species of natural flowering plants are found in the Kars flora, with nearly 100 of them being endemic species unique to the region. In and around Boğatepe, the center of cheese production, there are 600 to 650 different plant varieties. Drawing attention to the biological richness of the milk used in production, İlhan Koçulu, President of the Boğatepe Environment and Life Association, made the following assessment:

Fresh milk brought to the dairies is meticulously cooked in large vats until it forms curds. The cooked cheese curds are then placed in fine-mesh bags to drain excess whey and pressed into special molds. The cheese masses, pressed under weight for several days, are transferred to cool rooms for resting. After resting in the cool room for 2-3 days, the products are placed in brine to harden their surface, and after the warm resting room, they are moved to cold storage to complete their maturation process.

The solidarity and healthy competition focused on quality among the dairies in the village strengthen production day by day. İlhan Koçulu, President of the Boğatepe Environment and Life Association, shared insights into the village's sectoral structure and production volume:

Stating that gravyer is historically one of the most durable dairy products, İlhan Koçulu, President of the Boğatepe Environment and Life Association, described the product's long shelf life with the following words:

The gravyer produced in Boğatepe, where production techniques preserved since the 13th century are kept alive, is in high demand both in the domestic and international markets. The value added to milk fat and protein by the rich vegetation on the high plateaus makes Kars gravyer a world-class product. The disciplined production carried out in five dairies continues to contribute directly to rural development and the sustainability of local animal husbandry. With its additive-free nature and nutritional properties, gravyer continues to be one of the region's most strategic agricultural added values.

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