The Culture of cheese is a fascinating story! The culinary tradition is the bed of this joint cheese cookbook featuring the rich flavours of the cross-border aera between Greece and Albania. The joint cheese cookbook is produced under the project CheeseCulT implemented under the Interreg IPA II CBC Greece-Albania Programme 2014-2020, and is co-funded by European Union and National Funds of Greece and Albania.

The joint cheese cookbook is in essence a cross-border and cross-cultural initiative between Greece and Albania, creating a virtual Cheese Route. The book includes 58 recipes from both countries. Each recipe is original and reflects the history and culture of the region of ​​Arta, Ioannina, Preveza and Thesprotia in Greece and the one of Gjirokastra, Permet and Tepelena in Albania.

Heritage food has gained attention as a cultural identity. Tasting the national cuisine and food specialities are one of the most enjoyable ways to discover different cultures. The concept behind this joint cookbook was to explore and present unique recipes made with local cheese from the both sides of the border.  We have gathered and preserved flavours and traditions that have been passed down from one generation to the next.

This publication is intended as a tool to promote the gastronomic potential, as a driving force for rural tourism development of the project area and make it known to the wider public.

The joint cheese cookbook is the result of a close collaboration of Argjiro Department of Agriculture, University of Ioannina, the University “EQREM ÇABEJ” of Gjirokaster and the Hellenic Agricultural Organization – Demeter, Dairy School of Ioannina